The rest before the inn.

Nicolaes Berchem (1620-83) was the son and presumably pupil of Pieter Claesz, a Haarlem painter of down-to-earth still lives. He also studied with a variety of artists, including Jan van Goyen, and became a prominent member of the Haarlem artistic community, on one occasion travelling to Germany with his famous fellow townsman, Jacob van Ruisdael. The last decade of his life was spent in Amsterdam. Berchem painted some northern forest landscapes of a type which this training and milieu might lead one to expect. The majority of his work however is Italianate, either inspired by an undocumented visit to Italy, which can only have occurred between 1651 and 1653, or by exposure to the work of returning Italian-influenced artists such as Cornelis van Poelenburgh.

In the course of his career, Berchem completed some 500 paintings and 80 etchings. This etching combines Dutch genre comedy with an Italianate influence, the latter seen in the picturesquely rustic setting of the inn. An elegant lady traveller on her somewhat incongruous donkey, riding side-saddle, holds her glass upside down at the female innkeeper at the door, who grasps the decanter and smiles. Several animals are standing around them, (two donkeys and three sheep), again a little incongruously but acting as a vehicle for Berchem's great talent in depicting animals. This is the fourth of a series of five etchings showing domestic animals and their owners/minders.

See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaes_Pieterszoon_Berchem

https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/401352/a-shepherd-and-shepherdess-with-flocks

Dr Mark Stocker    Curator, Historical International Art   June 2017