Seascape with Seven Figures and a Dog
Nicolaas Aartman Dutch
Not on view
Three sailing vessels are setting out to sea on a tranquil afternoon. On the river banks in the foreground, several figures and fishermen have gathered. This small-scale drawing is a typical example of the work of the eighteenth century Dutch draftsman Nicolaes Aartman, who specialized primarily in the depiction of landscapes and townscapes. Many of Aartman’s designs were intended as book illustrations. However, judging by its delicate coloring, it is likely that this specific sheet was intended for the album of a drawings collector or ‘liefhebber’. It may have been paired with the highly resembling Seascape with Six Figures in the Foreground, also in the Museum’s collection (1975.121.2).