Barnyard Scene

In contrast to Van der Poel’s nocturnal pictures, this painting shows a brightly sunlit farmyard. In the foreground various farm animals go about their business surrounded by a jumble of baskets and buckets, a barrel, a wheel, a harness, a broken pot, a shoe, and an old hat. The farmer has climbed up a ladder to inspect a dovecote. The yard is enclosed by buildings and a fence, allowing only a glimpse of the land beyond.

Van der Poel does not attempt a truthful portrayal of life on a farm with all its hardships and inconveniences. He presents, rather, an idealized image of rural tranquillity that was meant to appeal to the ideals of an urban clientele.