Lot 1064 Dα

The majority of Droochsloot's works depict densely populated village scenes. He uses a characteristic compositional scheme with buildings beginning on the lower left and framing a path leading into the background towards the right. The present work features this typical composition, but the southern, classical appearance of the buildings is unusual. The figures form several groups, each engaged in separate activities representing the Seven Acts of Mercy.
The Seven Acts, or Works, of Mercy are a list of exemplary tasks expressing Christian charity. Artists began depicting this motif in the late Middle Ages, but it became particularly popular following the Council of Trent, especially in the Netherlands in the later 16th and 17th centuries. The largest group in the present work represents the feeding of the hungry, followed by the burial of the dead, giving shelter to the homeless, and clothing the naked. The visiting of the sick and imprisoned are depicted on the right hand side. Droochsloot primarily painted religious motifs such as this in his early period.