Floor plan

Time and place17th-century Netherlands

17th-century Netherlands

A Cottage in the Woods, by Meindert Hobbema, c. 1662
A View of Bracciano with the Church of S. Maria Assunta, by Bartholomeus Breenberg, c. 1619–33
English Warship Firing a Salute, 1690
A work made of oil on panel.
A windmill stands on a promontory cutting into a waterway under a partially stormy sky in this square landcape painting. The promontory and mill are painted in muted tones of brown and rust orange, while steel-gray and white clouds encircle a topaz-blue sky above. The promontory juts into the scene from our left, and the front of the windmill is angled to our right so its golden-tan sails catch the light. Silvery water winds around the base of the promontory and extends to a dark green, shadowy bank on the far side. A boat in the lower right corner of the composition is rowed by a man wearing a red jacket and cap. A path runs to the water’s edge from the left edge of the painting, in front of the promontory’s retaining wall, which is shored up with stones or panels. A person in dark clothing close to the windmill seems to rest their arms on the retaining wall, their back to us. Closer to us, a woman holds a child’s hand as they walk down the path to the bank. A bearded man with tattered brown clothes and bare feet stands leaning against the wall near a woman wearing burnt-orange garment. She sits or kneels at the water’s edge in front of a basket of clothes and holds up a brown cloth. The olive-green forms of the trees on the far bank are reflected in the water, and closer inspection reveals two cows near the water there. Charcoal-gray clouds pile up along the left of the painting and span the top edge. There is a brilliant blue sky beyond and a screen of white clouds near the horizon, which comes about a third of the way up the canvas.
The image shows a woman standing close to us, slightly turned to the side, looking down, with a hand supporting her draped attire and the other grasping a stick. Next to her, a donkey drinks from a shallow stream, carrying a large wicker basket with barrels inside. A dog is splashing in the water beside them. The horizon is low, meeting a rise of land with trees and shrubs, leading the eye to a distant pathway where a couple of small figures can be seen. The sky above has sketchily rendered clouds. The style involves fine, detailed linework, characteristic of etching, emphasizing textures such as the fur of the donkey and the folds of the fabric. The color palette is monochromatic, relying on various intensities of ink and line density to render shadows and highlights.

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the Netherlands in the 17th century.

First room, north wall

  1. A Cottage in the Woods, by Meindert Hobbema, c. 1662
    A Cottage in the WoodsMeindert Hobbema, c. 1662Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. A View of Bracciano with the Church of S. Maria Assunta, by Bartholomeus Breenberg, c. 1619–33
    A View of Bracciano with the Church of S. Maria AssuntaBartholomeus Breenberg, c. 1619–33Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. English Warship Firing a Salute, 1690
    English Warship Firing a SaluteUnrecorded Dutch maker, 1690Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

First room, south wall

  1. A work made of oil on panel.
    Still LifePieter Claesz, c. 1625Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. A windmill stands on a promontory cutting into a waterway under a partially stormy sky in this square landcape painting. The promontory and mill are painted in muted tones of brown and rust orange, while steel-gray and white clouds encircle a topaz-blue sky above. The promontory juts into the scene from our left, and the front of the windmill is angled to our right so its golden-tan sails catch the light. Silvery water winds around the base of the promontory and extends to a dark green, shadowy bank on the far side. A boat in the lower right corner of the composition is rowed by a man wearing a red jacket and cap. A path runs to the water’s edge from the left edge of the painting, in front of the promontory’s retaining wall, which is shored up with stones or panels. A person in dark clothing close to the windmill seems to rest their arms on the retaining wall, their back to us. Closer to us, a woman holds a child’s hand as they walk down the path to the bank. A bearded man with tattered brown clothes and bare feet stands leaning against the wall near a woman wearing burnt-orange garment. She sits or kneels at the water’s edge in front of a basket of clothes and holds up a brown cloth. The olive-green forms of the trees on the far bank are reflected in the water, and closer inspection reveals two cows near the water there. Charcoal-gray clouds pile up along the left of the painting and span the top edge. There is a brilliant blue sky beyond and a screen of white clouds near the horizon, which comes about a third of the way up the canvas.
    The MillRembrandt van Rijn, 1645/1648Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The image shows a woman standing close to us, slightly turned to the side, looking down, with a hand supporting her draped attire and the other grasping a stick. Next to her, a donkey drinks from a shallow stream, carrying a large wicker basket with barrels inside. A dog is splashing in the water beside them. The horizon is low, meeting a rise of land with trees and shrubs, leading the eye to a distant pathway where a couple of small figures can be seen. The sky above has sketchily rendered clouds. The style involves fine, detailed linework, characteristic of etching, emphasizing textures such as the fur of the donkey and the folds of the fabric. The color palette is monochromatic, relying on various intensities of ink and line density to render shadows and highlights.
    Woman Crossing a StreamKarel Dujardin, 1662Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, south wall

  1. A work made of oil on panel.
    Trompe-l'Oeil Still Life with a Flower Garland and a CurtainAdriaen van der Spelt, 1658Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. The image shows a slightly elevated perspective of a rugged landscape with dense vegetation and rock formations. The horizon is high in the upper third of the image, with a distant building or castle on a hill. The structure is silhouetted against the sky and partially obscured by foliage. Intricate line work and hatching create detailed textures and shading, especially in the trees and clouds. The color palette is monochromatic, using varying shades of brown and sepia to give the artwork an antiquated and rustic appearance.
    Firs in the DefileAllart van Everdingen, probably c. 1645/1656Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Cottage among Trees, by Rembrandt van Rijn, ca. 1650
    Cottage among TreesRembrandt van Rijn, ca. 1650Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. View of Amsterdam from the Northwest, by Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1640
    View of Amsterdam from the NorthwestRembrandt van Rijn, c. 1640Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, north wall

  1. Enclosed Valley, by Hercules Seghers, c. 1623–30
    Enclosed ValleyHercules Seghers, c. 1623–30Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. Gathered in a round glass vase, a tall bouquet of flowers in shades of light and deep pink, sunshine yellow, and white with pine-green leaves nearly fills this vertical still life painting. Shown against an gray background, the vase sits on a narrow ledge, perhaps made of wood. A label with looping, cursive French text painted in gold against a baby blue background is affixed to the front of the ledge, along the bottom edge of the composition. The text reads, “C'est l'Angelicq main du grad Peinctre de Flore AMBROISE, renommé jusqu' au Rivage Moré.” A few of the flowers draw the eye, including a tulip and iris at the top of the bouquet. To our left, the tulip is mauve pink with cream-colored streaks, and one petal folds down to reveal the stamen inside. Next to it, a damselfly, an insect like a delicate dragonfly, rests on the vibrant yellow iris. The petals curling down from the iris are veined in muted burgundy red. Flowers filling in the bouquet below include a shell-pink cyclamen, a white gardenia, a closed blue and white striped columbine, a slate-blue grape hyacinth, lily of the valley, pale blue forget-me-nots, and a pink peony interspersed with leaves and greenery. The round glass vase has a narrow opening. A sprig of viola rests to our left of the vase on the ledge, and an orange, black, white, and brown butterfly perches on the stem of a pink cyclamen laying to our right of the vase. The artist signed the painting with a monogram and dated it in dark paint to our right on the face of the ledge: “AB 1621.”
    Bouquet of Flowers in a Glass VaseAmbrosius Bosschaert, 1621Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Landscape painting featuring a wavy tree tree in the foreground and a watermill with a red roof adjacent to a river at right. Colors are subdued earth tones, the foliage a dark green and the river a muddy brown. Water flows through the mill wheel under a cloudy sky of gray and blue. Three individuals can be seen in the distance at left.
    The Watermill with the Great Red RoofMeindert Hobbema, c. 1665Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  4. This is a drawing of a rural scene with horses and figures. The image shows an interaction between several figures and two horses within a pastoral setting. In the foreground, two individuals are seated on the ground, accompanied by a small child. Nearby, a figure atop a horse reaches towards another figure who leads a laden horse. A dog is present, standing alert at the horse's hooves. The backdrop showcases lush trees and distant hills, suggesting a serene countryside environment. The attention to detail and shading creates a realistic depiction of this rustic scene.
    Robbers on HorsebackJan van Huchtenburgh, late 17th/early 18th centuryCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Third room, north wall

  1. Portrait of Tieleman Roosterman, by Frans Hals, 1634
    Portrait of Tieleman RoostermanFrans Hals, 1634Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. A work made of oil on canvas.
    Portrait of a womanFerdinand Bol, c. 1655Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago