“The bugle eyeball and the cheek of cream”
have done their magic now.
The name of H. van Vliet (1611?-1675) is, doubtless, correctly
connected with two portraits on canvas (Nos. 2605 and 2605A), while his
contemporaries, Cornelis Saftleven (1606-1681) and D. van Santvoort
(1610-1680), are represented by _The Artist’s Portrait_ (No. 2562)
and the _Pilgrims at Emmaus_ (No. 2564) respectively. Jakob van Loo
(1614-1670), who became a naturalised Frenchman, may be judged by his
diploma picture (No. 2451) and a very poor _Nude Female_ (No. 2452).
Such mediocre producers of uninspired and unconvincing panels as Dirk
Hals (1591-1656), the brother and pupil of Frans Hals, whose _Festive
Repast_ (No. 2389) hangs in Room XXIII.; Cornelis van Poelenburg
(1586-1667), whose art is here admirably illustrated (Nos. 2518-2523);
Hendrick Pot (1585-1657), who evidently derived some satisfaction from
the elaborate inscription he has placed on his quite ineffectual, but
fortunately diminutive, _Portrait of Charles I._ (No. 2525); and the
little-known and less-esteemed L. F. Zustris (1526-1600), whose absurd
_Venus and Love_ (No. 2640) shows what a waste of time it was for him
to study under Titian in Italy—these and many more worked as “business
artists” for undiscriminating patrons. In the same category come
Adriaen van de Venne (No. 2601), Pieter Codde (No. 2339A), Jacob
Duck (No. 2360-2361), and A. Palamedesz (No. 2515A).
[Illustration:
PLATE XXXI.—VAN DER HELST
(1613-1670)