At the Mauritshuis, The Hague

Judith Leyster, The Proposition

Virtue, or vice? This seated woman is an icon of domesticity, but the man’s money may tempt her away from work.

Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring

This enigmatic character study was dubbed the “Dutch Mona Lisa.” The turban and pearl add a touch of the exotic.

Jacob van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem with Bleaching Grounds

70 percent of this landscape is sky. The church orients us, but weather adds specificity and dynamism.

Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp

With its animation and naturalism, this canvas launched Rembrandt’s career as a portrait painter.