Steen, though he loved scenes of rollicking conviviality and was fond of sly humour, by no means confined himself to such moods. His brush traced every episode of family life, and this little piece is as pretty as one of the "Graces for Children" in Herrick's Noble Numbers:—
What God gives, and what we take,
'Tis a gift for Christ his sake;
Be the meal of Beans and Pease,
God be thanked for those and these.
This picture was formerly in the Leuchtenberg Collection at St. Petersburg.
2559. THE OYSTER FEAST.
2560. THE SKITTLE PLAYERS.
Jan Steen (Dutch: 1626-1679). See 856.
2561. VIEW NEAR HAARLEM.
Ruysdael (Dutch: 1628-1682). See 627.
A beautiful example of the master, who has signed it in full in the centre of the foreground. It will be noticed that the point of view is much the same, and that the effect of sunlight in the middle distance is the same, as in the large picture, No. 990. One may ask the question which Fromentin puts of a like instance: "The two landscapes are, the one on a large scale, the other on a small, a repetition of the same subject. Is the little canvas the study which served as text for the large? Did Ruysdael design, or did he paint from nature? Was he inspired, or did he copy directly? That is his secret. In any case the two works are charming."