Jan Josefsz. van Goyen

H-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen 1596-1656, Amsterdam 1973, vol. III, p. 204, cat. no. 527, reproduced. 

Dated 1647 and published by Beck in his catalogue raisonné of the artist under number 527 (op. cit.), our painting is an example of the masterly technique that the artist had acquired by this time.

Van Goyen uses a restricted palette of browns, yellows and greens, typical of he works of his maturity, playing with subtle nuances that accurately render the Dutch sky and the country’s peaceful landscapes.

The water’s calm surface is described with the aid of horizontal lines, while the details of the town in the background are executed with a rapid brushstroke and simply lit with lighter touches that give volume to the buildings. Swelling clouds fill the sky, contrasting with the smooth water.

As often with Van Goyen, the vanishing point is slightly off-centre and positioned very low, leaving plenty of space to evoke the sky and its clouds, the artist’s favourite motifs.