P. de Molyn's Farm.—Pieter de Molyn the Elder (?-1661) has a pretty picture of a farm, where two peasant men are talking to a peasant woman. A very large tree stands in the front in full light, and behind the hedge are a hayrick and the house.
Murant's Farm.—Another farm is the work of Emanuel Murant. A large tree and a sheet of water occupy the foreground. Near the latter a goat is lying; then come three pigs before a stable, and three sheep and a peasant. A pigeon-house on four poles and a hay-wagon are seen in the background.
Three Good Landscape-painters.—Jan Breughel (1601-78) painted so much like his father ("Velvet") that it is hard to distinguish the one from the other. His two village scenes are full of the country and rural life. Michiel Carree (1666-1747) was another painter of the country. His Wooded Landscape with Cattle has a mountainous background; it is animated by a shepherd, an ass, two oxen, two goats, a ram, and several lambs. Cornelis Decker (d. 1678) was a pupil of Salomon Ruisdael, whom he greatly resembles in style. His landscape depicts a peasant's cot half hidden among trees on the bank of a stream. On a plank crossing the latter a woman is washing clothes; on the right are two persons in a boat; on the horizon are trees and a clock-tower.
Netscher's Family Scene.—Netscher's Family Scene, painted in 1667, shows a group in a garden in front of an imposing house. A gentleman in a long brown wig leans on the base of a pillar; behind him is a statue of Justice, and beside him a lady in white satin with a child on her knee. Near her are two young girls; one is in red silk, the other in blue satin. They are making floral crowns, while three other children are twining flowers around a statue of Love. On the left, in the foreground, is a handsome stone vase containing a plant.
Two Landscapes.—Pieter Jansz van As has a typical Dutch landscape with rustic cottages, goats, shepherds, etc. Jan van Gool (1685-1763) was a pupil of Terwesten and Van der Does. His Landscape and Animals is a milking scene in a meadow, wherein are also a dog, goat, sheep, and lambs. Trees, meadows, and a town close the distance.
One of Koninck's Very Scarce Pictures.—Jacob Koninck (fl. 1640) was a pupil of A. van de Velde; his pictures are very scarce. Landscape with Animals shows sheep and cattle browsing and lying down, with a young shepherd presumably cutting his name on a tree-trunk. Banks of trees and a farmhouse close the background.
A Charming Landscape by P. van der Leeuw.—Another little-known landscape-painter, Pieter van der Leeuw (fl. 1670), was a son and pupil of Sebastiaen van der Leeuw. He has a charming Landscape and Animals; the animals consist of two oxen drinking at a stream, a ram, two ewes, a goat, a sheep, and two lambs. A shepherd and shepherdess rest under a tree. The color and composition are excellent.
Michau's Landscape with Cottages.—Theobald Michau (1676-1765) modelled himself on D. Teniers the Younger. His Landscape with Peasants' Cottages is full of the spirit of humble life. A woman sits at her door with a child on her lap, talking to three neighbors; another is washing kitchen utensils; a man and a dog are approaching. On the left there are tall trees, and five cows beside a stream; and farther back are cottages and a church-tower above trees.
A Characteristic Picture by Van der Poel.—Egbert van der Poel has here a characteristic picture, Fire at Night in a Village House. The house in flames occupies the middle of the picture; many persons are trying to put out the fire, and some are throwing water upon it. Several neighboring houses and a clock-tower are lighted by the glow of the flames.
Van Straaten's Washerwoman.—Bruno van Straaten, who was born in Utrecht in 1786, is represented by The Washerwoman. She is represented as busy outside the walls of the town; near her are houses, trees, and a windmill.