Brussels, along with Antwerp, was an important artistic centre in the Southern Netherlands. Jacques d’Arthois, who depicted the distinctive landscape of the surroundings in his pictures, was active there. The landscape is characterised by small hills, loose groups of trees, and sandy soil. Many paintings have similar compositions: trees dominate one half of the picture, combined with the view of a flat landscape extending to the horizon. The white birch trunks contrast with the dark forest; the crowns of individual trees with their delicate leaves stand out against the bright sky. Flooded with warm summer light, these landscapes have an idyllic character, which is reminiscent of the pastorals of the Rococo period.