Ludolf Bakhuysen: The Bakhuysen and de Hooghe Families dining at the Mussel Pier on the Y (1702)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

A painting by the Dutch artist Ludolf Bakhuysen (1630-1708). The painting depicts a group of people while they are dining at the Musselpier in Amsterdam. The musselpier was a pier situated at the 'houttuinen' near the 'Haringpakkerstoren' and 'droogbak'in Amsterdam, boats carrying mussels and cattle docks here. The city in the background is Amsterdam with the towers of the old chruch, the city hall, the new church and the Round Lutheran Church visible. If the family enjoyed this view in real life is unclear, could be that the artist simply used the view of the city to upholster his group portrait. The identity of the depicted people is also unclear - according ot tradition the depicted group is the family of the artist and that of his wife, the standing man would be a self-portrait of the artist and the standing woman would be his wife, Anna de Hooghe. Painting from 1702.