Inspired by his predecessors Jan van Goyen (1596-1656), Pieter de Molijn (1595-1661), Salomon van Ruysdael (1600-1670) and Jan (1593-1641) and Esaias van de Velde (1587-1630), Aernout ter Himpel developed his own style, often depicting tondo's or ovals with landscapes with travellers.
Dietrich Meyerhöfer suggests these tondo's were designs for Delft blue plates, tiles and dishes, supported by a note by Johannes le Francq van Berkhey (1729-1812) in his Natuurlyke historie van Holland (1769). Ter Himpel's style is often less spontaneous compared to the previously mentioned artists, although the present drawing is unexpectedly free in it's rendering and one of the more spontaneously drawn compositions by the artist. Usually ter Himpel uses a repoussoir with grey wash and one or more figures in the foreground with a dog, all seen from the back. In the present drawing, which depletes staffage, all attention goes to the freely rendered farm and stable, most likely drawn in situ.[1]
[1] D. Meyerhöfer, 'Aarnout ter Himpel (um 1634-1686). Vorläufiges Verzeichnis der Zeichnungen', Niederdeutsche Beiträge 32 (1993), p. 127-204
