European Painting before 1900, Johnson Collection Dunes Early 1650s Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael, Dutch (active Haarlem and Amsterdam), 1628/29 - 1682 Oil on panel * Gallery 264, European Art 1500-1850, second floor Cat. 563 John G. Johnson Collection, 1917 |
LabelThis small panel painting is a rare pure dune landscape. These tall dunes around Haarlem were a sandy and rolling terrain that was unusually varied for Holland. A traveler in a red jacket appears in many of the artist's paintings but forms an unusually central accent here, caught in dramatic light and emphasizing the difficulty of the terrain. As in the drawings in his 1646 sketchbook, Ruisdael here explores the Haarlem-area topography in the same way locals were encouraged to do by publications and prints.* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
