A Hunting Party near the Hofvijver in The Hague, Seen from the Buitenhof

The signature on this canvas carries two names, Berckheyde and Hughtenburgh. Gerrit Berckheyde, the Haarlem painter of town views, laid out the buildings and the light, and Jan van Huchtenburgh, a specialist in horses and riders, painted the hunting party. They made it around 1685 to 1690.

The viewpoint is the Buitenhof, the old outer court of The Hague. Beyond the low wall lies the Hofvijver, the court pond, and on the right rise the buildings of the Binnenhof, where the States General met. A coach drawn by six horses rolls past with riders and dogs, along a stretch of road where trams run today.

The Mauritshuis owns the painting and shows it in its Gallery Prince Willem V, which stands on the Buitenhof itself, a short walk from the spot Berckheyde chose.