A Farmyard

Isack van Ostade shows a farmyard with a forsaken air, tranquil and atmospheric. Under an ancient oak tree a patch of sunlight picks out a wooden pen, a shelf above it holding an earthenware pot and a sieve. Behind them, a cart wheel and a basket lie forgotten in an old shed – its withering thatch will be little help against the threatening rain cloud overhead. Only the hen and two cockerels pecking for food give any sign of life in this ramshackle place, a feathery bunch of black tail feathers standing out against the surrounding clutter.The picture is painted in meticulous detail on an oak panel, upon which paint flowed more fluently than it did on canvas. Isack was the younger brother and student of Adriaen van Ostade, whose work also appears in the National Gallery’s collection. Sadly, Isack died at the age of 28, before his potential could be fulfilled.