Army Advancing among Roman Ruins

An army is setting off to war through a sunlit landscape, past classical ruins that recall the Forum in Rome. Jacob van der Ulft signed and dated the canvas in 1671, just left of centre. He probably never went to Italy. He built scenes like this from prints by artists who had been there, a common practice in his day, and he painted Dutch buildings and Italian ones with the same care.

In the 18th century the painting belonged to Amsterdam collectors, first Pieter de Klok, who owned it in 1744, and later Pieter de Smeth van Alphen. In 1825 the Mauritshuis bought it from a Hague dealer, three years after the museum first opened to the public.