It is thought that this is not an invented caprice, but rather a topographical view, the subject of which has not yet been identified. It has been suggested that it may be a view from the Giudecca, or at Chioggia, but neither idea is entirely convincing. ...

The picture was previously attributed to Frans or Cornelis Decker, but is in fact a characteristic work by van Vries. It can be compared with landscapes signed by van Vries in Munich (Alte Pinakothek) & Stockholm (Nationalmuseum). Little is known about the chronology of van Vries's work but this landscape may date from the early 1660s. ...

This is unlikely to be a topographically accurate view of a particular Flemish village. It is one of a large number of paintings of peasant life by Teniers, which rarely show actual cities. A pentimento is visible on the nearside of the stream; it would appear that a wooden structure has been painted out. Teniers was an immensely successful artist who was court painter to the Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, in Brussels. ...

The vessels at the jetty on the left, which may belong to the toll-house at the estuary of the river Maas, have Dutch flags. The man-of-war at anchor on the right has the arms of the Province of Holland on her stern & flies the flag of the Dutch Republi ...

On Monday, 12 October, 1654, shortly after half past eleven in the morning, one of Delft's gunpowder stores exploded & destroyed a large part of the city. This painting by van der Poel shows the terrible damage caused by the explosion. In the distance against the horizon the two major churches of the city, the Oude & the Niewe Kerk, stand relatively intact. Between them is the Town Hall tower. The church on the extreme right is the chapel of the Hospital of St George in Noordeinde. To the right of the picture is the area where the gunpowder had been stored; all that remains are a crater filled with water, some burnt trees, roofless houses, & piles of rubble. In the foreground, people are busy helping the wounded & comforting one another. Two men crossing a bridge on the left of the picture carry a basket containing the few belongings they have managed to salvage. When the store exploded, it contained about 90, 000 pounds of gunpowder. Although the number of people killed is not known, it has been estimated that there were hundreds of deaths. Among the casualties was one of Delft's most famous painters, Carel Fabritius. ...

Create your own bespoke print of Bronzino’s A View of Deventer seen from the North-West from our collection. About this painting A View of Deventer seen from the North-West, 1657 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1962 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

Create your own bespoke print of Peter Paul Rubens’ A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning from our collection. About this painting An Autumn Landscape with a View of Het Steen in the Early Morning, probably 1636 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1823/8 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

The large house partially hidden by trees has been identified as Het Sterckshof in Duerne near Antwerp. It has been suggested that the figures in the foreground may be the owner Jacob Edelheer & his wife Isabelle ven Lemens. The figure who offers the ...

Create your own bespoke print of Bronzino’s A View of Rhenen seen from the West from our collection. About this painting A View of Rhenen seen from the West, 1648 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1963 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

The tower in the centre background resembles that of Santa Maria della Torre which was beside the Ripa Grande, the old port of Rome opposite the Aventine. The other buildings seem to have been invented by the artist. The picture appears to be a slightly inaccurate reminiscence of the site. It is painted on oak, an unusual support to have been used in Italy & was probably painted shortly after Both's return to Holland in about 1641. The artist also painted a more topographically accurate view of the Ripa Grande from the south-west (Frankfurt, Städelsches Kunstinstitut). ...