Fray en Leelijck (Beautiful and Ugly)
by VENNE, Adriaen Pietersz. van de, Oil on panel, 37 x 30 cm
After the death of the artist’s brother in 1625 his once flourishing printing business collapsed, and Adriaen van der Venne relocated the The Hague where he spent the rest of his long life. His production in The Hague consisted chiefly of grisailles representing the lower echelons of society. The depiction of two decrepit musicians, cryptically inscribed Fray en Leelijck (Beautiful and Ugly) is a characteristic example of van de Venne’s work of this sort.