Princes Maurice and Frederick Henry at the Valkenburg Horse Fair

Van de Venne uses the arrival of Prince Maurice and his younger brother Frederick Henry – in a carriage drawn by six grey horses – to underscore the contrast between the elegant conduct of Hague courtiers and the boorish manners of the peasants. The artist captures the atmosphere of the fair with vignettes of a singer and a woman selling fruit and vegetables whose purse is being picked.

Princes Maurice and Frederick Henry at the Valkenburg Horse Fair

Van de Venne uses the arrival of Prince Maurice and his younger brother Frederick Henry – in a carriage drawn by six grey horses – to underscore the contrast between the elegant conduct of Hague courtiers and the boorish manners of the peasants. The artist captures the atmosphere of the fair with vignettes of a singer and a woman selling fruit and vegetables whose purse is being picked.