A Jeu de Paume Before a Country Palace (Front)

Adriaen van de Venne captured the idle pleasures of courtship and leisure in this small painting. Lining a wide lane, an assortment of people watch a game of ball. To the left, a formal garden with flowers and sculptures is laid out in front of a large fantasy castle. In the left foreground, two lovers sit in shadow near an overturned lute and a pile of clothing discarded by the ballplayers. On the right is an enclosed forest area with goats and deer.

This painting and its companion, Merry Company in an Arbor, were part of a series of four landscapes representing the seasons. This painting probably represents summer. Both paintings have a miniature and jewel-like quality, with similar colorful scenes of tiny, anecdotal figures out in the open.