Hobbema was a natural storyteller. Here the figures (probably painted by Adriaen van de Velde) are carefully integrated to help the viewer ‘read’ the scene. The wildness of the trees is tempered by the homeliness of the houses nestled amongst them. The contrasting shades of the dark foreground with the bright sunshine beyond shows the influence of Hobbema’s teacher, Ruisdael (no. 11). Acquired by George IV in 1814 No. 19