Hendrick van Steenwyck the Younger, 'The Courtyard of a Renaissance Palace', 1610

In the courtyard of this vast and palatial complex of buildings, a woman stands with her young servants. The bright red of her dress and the dark blue of her attendants’ outfits are echoed in the feathers of the parrot that is perched on the pedestal to the right. Two men seemingly demonstrate their devotion to the woman: one kisses the front of her dress while the other, down on one knee, presses his hand to his heart.

Such images appealed to sophisticated collectors throughout Europe, who appreciated the minute detail, clever spatial illusion and knowledgeable use of classical architectural motifs. The figures here were probably not painted by Steenwyck. He often collaborated with other artists – they worked on the figures while he painted the architecture and landscape.