Interior with Ladies and Gentleman at Cards

Neer was the son of the moonlight and winter scene painter Aert van der Neer (1603-1667). He specialised in elegant middle-class genre scenes. This picture was painted towards the end of the century when the Golden Age of Dutch art was in decline. Much more stylised and elaborate than earlier Dutch paintings, the fashion and interior decoration of this genre scene is clearly influenced by French styles. The image of the upper-middle class at leisure illustrates that the Netherlands - successfully trading and colonising overseas - was still enjoying its reputation as the richest nation in Europe.