Jan van Goyen
Born – Leyden, Netherlands 1596
Died – The Hague, Netherlands 1656
Jan van Goyen with Salomon van Rusydael, helped to establish the early school of Dutch landscape painting. He was the father-in-law and teacher of Dutch genre painter, Jan Steen. Van Goyen visited France as a young man, before travelling extensively in Holland. On his trips he made sketches and drawings of various identifiable landmarks which he used as the basis for later paintings. After 1630 his work underwent a marked change. He simplified his compositions and began to adopt an almost monochrome palette. Later work is richer in colour and displays the poetic sensibility associated with the next generation of Dutch landscape painters, such as Jacob van Ruisdael. A prolific output did not, however, prevent van Goyen from dying insolvent. River Scene with an Inn provides a typical view of the Dutch lowlands. Van Goyen focuses on the low horizon and the reflections created in the expanse of water. The figure sitting on the fence lends the painting an air of wistful contemplation and nostalgia, reinforced by the warm glow of the setting sun.
Masterpieces:
- A Windmill by a River
- A River Scene with a Hut on an Island
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.