* Jacob Esselens Amsterdam 1626 - 1687

Esselens earned his livelihood as both an artist and a merchant; he traded in textiles, mainly silks and velvets.  His side business afforded him the opportunity to travel abroad to France, Italy and England where he befriended other artists.  

His artistic oeuvre, comprised of landscapes, both imagined and real, shows the influence of Simon de Vliegher, Jan Lievens and Gerbrand van den Eeckhout.  He in fact travelled along the Rhine with the latter two artists in 1663.   Aside from these topographical views, Esselens also depicted fishermen and townsfolk going about their daily business as well as more elegant figures enjoying leisurely activities such as is depicted in the present painting.