_J. van Ruysdael_ (Dutch: 1628-1682). _See_ 627.
This little picture, which dates from the earliest days of the National
Gallery, was for many years obscured with dirt and not exhibited to the
public. It has recently been cleaned, and shows one of the painter's
favourite subjects--the bleaching grounds in the neighbourhood of
Haarlem. Before the discovery of chemical means of bleaching linen,
these were a great source of income to the town. Linen was brought here
from all parts of the continent to be bleached, and then went back as
Dutch linen or Holland.