Jacob van Ruisdael
Born – Haarlem, Netherlands 1628
Died – Amsterdam, Netherlands 1682
Regarded as the greatest of all Dutch landscape painters, Jacob van Ruisdael is believed to have been taught by his father and by his uncle Salomon van Ruisdael. He became known in the late 1640s for his panoramic views of the flat fields of his native countryside. However, in the course of a prolific career, he chose to paint a wide range of landscapes, including beaches, seascapes, forests, hills and rivers. He travelled to Germany in the early 1650s, where he was inspired to depict the more rugged terrain. By 1657, he had settled in Amsterdam, where he lived for the rest of his life. Landscape with a Ruined Castle and a Church probably depicts a view in an area to the east of Amsterdam. Ruisdael is less concerned with topographical accuracy than with depicting the subtle atmospheric effects. The sky dominates this painting and, through his mastery of perspective, the blustery clouds seem to sweep over our heads. He exercised a major influence both on his Dutch contemporaries and later English landscape artists such as Gainsborough and Constable.
Masterpieces:
- The Jewish Cemetery
- A Waterfall
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About jacob van ruisdael
Jacob Van Ruisdael: Master of Landscape
Seymour Slive
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Jacob van Ruisdael : A Complete Catalogue of His Paintings, Drawings, and Etchings
Seymour Slive
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Jacob van Ruisdael: Windmills and Water Mills
Seymour Slive
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