RUYSDAEL, Salomon van
(b. ca. 1602, Naarden, d. 1670, Haarlem)

Market by the Seashore

1637
Oil on wood, 41 x 59 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

At seaside villages, the beach was something akin to the market square. Here, small fishing boats return from a long day on the water, and villagers gather to greet them, see the catch, buy fish, or talk among themselves. In the foreground, a horse and rider make their way toward the village, passing by a pole.