A family in an interior with a dog nearby

Adriaan de Lelie was a much sought after portrait painter when he settled in Amsterdam, where he became a member of the guild in 1786. Like Abraham van Strij, he also painted conversation pieces in interiors in the tradition of the great Dutch masters of the 17th century. They 'modernized' the examples of such painters as Gabriel Metsu and Pieter de Hooch. The golden glare of the sun often plays an important role in the compositions. In doing so, both artists set the tone for several generations of painters of conversation pieces in the 19th century.