River Scene with Fishermen Drawing Nets

Barent Petersz Avercamp 1612/1613 - 1679

Summary

Fishing of all types, from North Sea whaling to small-scale freshwater fishing, as seen in this painting, was vital to the Dutch economy in the 17th century. In this scene by Barent Averamp, three fishermen haul in their catch, while two others pack the fish into baskets. Barent painted several riverbank scenes such as this, in a style so closely related to that of his uncle Hendrick that it has been assumed that Barent was his pupil, although he may just have been an imitator. Like his uncle, Barent often painted winter scenes, frequently using the same figures in different paintings.