This is a painting of a herring stand in the Grote Markt square in the town of Haarlem, Netherlands. Salted herring, often served with diced onions and pickles, is a popular and traditional snack in the Netherlands, with stalls like these found in markets and church squares all over the country.

In the Netherlands those herring classified as Hollandse Nieuwe — meeting certain qualifications, including having at least 16% body fat — are deemed the most desirable, and the herring-eating season officially kicks off in June each year on the Vlaggetjesdag (Flag Day) holiday. At one point herring was a scarce fish, but stricter regulation of fishing practices in recent decades has helped to ensure the supply is plentiful again.

This particular stall is run by "Jos Lijnzaat and daughter," and their slogan proclaims "Our Herring Takes the Crown!" An article from 2020 shows they were still going strong even in the darkest days of the pandemic.

I'm annoyed at myself for not getting around to trying herring while we visited the Netherlands in 2019, especially since I've learned that some Dutch people credit this high-protein snack for helping them grow so famously tall.