A Good Example of H. van Vliet's Style.—The Interior of a Protestant Church, by Hendrick van Vliet (1605-71), is a good example of this painter's style. On the left is the choir; in the centre of the foreground, an open tomb; on the right, near a pillar, a gentleman whose back is turned toward us, and who is accompanied by a dog. Between the pillars the preacher in his pulpit and his hearers are seen. The name and date, 1666, appear on one of the pillars.
A Splendid Church Interior by Neeffs.—Pieter Neeffs the Elder has a splendid Interior of a Catholic Church, showing the nave animated with many figures; chapels and altars are on right and left, and the choir is in the background.
Two Church Interiors by Bosboom.—Johannes Bosboom (1817-91) has an Interior of a Protestant Temple, with people walking about in costumes of the seventeenth century; and also an Interior of the Church of St. Laurence, Alkmaar, also brightened with figures.
A Noted Picture by Klinkenberg, and Others by him.—John Christian Charles Klinkenberg (1852- ) is the modern Dutch painter of towns, cities, and hamlets,—the Dutch Canaletto. He is a pupil of Bisschop and Louis Meyer. At first he was inclined to historical subjects, but soon turned his attention to street views. It would be impossible to enumerate them all,—the old water-gate at Sneek, the town hall at Zutphen, the town-gate at Hoorn, the market at Nymegen, the chancellory at Leeuwarden, the old gate at Haarlem, the old streets of Amsterdam, and the old buildings of The Hague. His noted picture representing a View of the Vijver at The Hague was presented to the Museum by the Rotterdam Society for Promoting Art in 1876. The Royal Museum is represented on the right.
KLINKENBERG
View of the Vijver at The Hague
The Maas before Dordrecht, by S. van Ruisdael.—The view of a town seen across the river has always attracted Dutch artists. Dordrecht and Rotterdam in particular have been painted by Jan van Goyen, Cuijp, and others. One of the most noted pictures of river scenes is The Maas before Dordrecht by Salomon van Ruisdael. In the foreground, to the right, is a shabby old pier on which some cows are standing, while others are in the water. Row-boats and sail-boats brighten the river, and one of them on the left is flying the flag of Dordrecht. The town is seen on the horizon.
Burger's Opinion of this Artist.—Burger says that this artist formed his brother, and that he stands between Van Goyen and the glorious Jacob. The picture just mentioned he considers "as masterly as one of Jacob's works. The distant horizon and the tiny sails, extremely fine in color, harmonize with the beautiful silvery sky."
A Fine River Scene by Aelbert Cuijp.—Aelbert Cuijp has a beautiful View of the River in the Morning. On the right, at the foot of a high mountain, a tongue of land advances into the water; two shepherds are visible; some cows are browsing, quenching their thirst, or lying down; and the river is dotted with row-boats and sail-boats. On the left are some mountains, and in the background the town lies on the banks of the river.
One of Pompe's Rare Works.—A View of Rotterdam, by a little-known painter, Gerrit Pompe (fl. 1700), whose works are very rare, deserves study. The Maas, animated with ships, occupies the foreground; on the left, the Admiralty yacht is under full sail, and there is also a row-boat; in the middle distance is a battleship; in the background are some other boats; and still farther away extends the town of Rotterdam. The painter has signed his name on a floating plank.