Focus on this artwork and explain the Details.
The background is believed to have been sourced from Cuyp's Drawing of Rhine near Elten. Despite this background, there is no known connection between the Pompe van Meerdervoort family and that region. However, a 1994 guide to the Met notes that the landscape near Elten is similar to that of Dordrecht.
The dogs are believed to be greyhounds and foxhounds, while the animal on the left of the painting is thought to be a hare. The clothing worn by those pictured would not have been common in the Netherlands and has been described as both Hungarian and Persian. The two boys and their riding instructor are wearing tight-fitting coats, known as dolmans, while the coachman is wearing a looser and heavier coat, known as a mente. The cap worn by Cornelis is similar to a Turkish turban. It has been observed that the heads of the figures are awkwardly painted and this had been attributed to Cuyp's primary focus on landscape painting. The hand gesture of Caulier was originally simply a direction, but would later have been viewed as an indication of who would quickly become the sole heir of the close family.
Dordrecht the Netherlands mente Elten hare left dolman greyhound turban Netherlands foxhound