How does this artwork elucidate its Description?
Set in a mid 17th century Dutch village, Drawing the Eel depicts a number of people attending a wintertime festival. The crowd is congregated around a structure (presumed to be an inn), watching children partake in an activity - commonly known as palingtrekken, or eel pulling  - in which an eel strung on a line is plucked down by riders passing on horseback. The painting has been remarked upon for its heavy inclusion of the sky (taking up two-thirds of the painting) and for van Ruysdael's excellent use of blue as a color.The Met acquired Drawing the Eel as part of its foundational art purchase in 1871, just prior to the museum's opening in 1872.
palingtrekken