Drawn to Daily Life

17th-century Holland comes to life in this superb selection of drawings and watercolors

Some 50 lively drawings and watercolors by leading 17th-century Dutch artists from the superb Maida and George Abrams Collection bring to life the faces, figures, pleasures, pastimes, and labors of Dutch people. Works by Rembrandt, Hendrick Avercamp, Abraham Bloemaert, Jacques De Gheyn II, Jan van Goyen, Adriaen and Isaack van Ostade, along with a host of others, bring the century to life and highlight the prominence of drawing during the era.

Above: Adriaen van Ostade, The Spectacles Seller, 1673. Brown ink, gray wash, over graphite, incised, on off‑white antique laid paper. Maida and George Abrams Collection, Boston, Massachusetts. Photograph © President and Fellows of Harvard College.