River Landscape with a Ferry, Salomon van Ruysdael, 1656, Minneapolis Institute of Art: Paintings
Dutch landscape. Golden Age of Holland. A wide river with various river craft, which stretches across the width of the canvas and flows to meet the horizon. In the far right distance, a village can be seen through a gentle mist, while on the wooded bank to the left, a cart filled with singing and shouting peasants stands before a row of cottages. As they wave to the boatload of passengers approaching the shore, a ferryboat loaded with cattle pushes off. Further upstream, a boat in full sail carries its passengers toward the distant hamlet with its church steeple. Nothing could be more Dutch than boats on a wide river under a cloudy sky: a ferry approaching shore, a rowboat out for a joy ride, a sailboat heading to the horizon. Water was crucial to Holland’s flourishing economy, with rivers and canals serving as its main commercial arteries. To the Dutch, such images of serene rivers and boats were emotionally resonant, underscoring the peacefulness and affluence of their newly independent country.
Size: 41 1/2 x 52 7/8 x 1 1/8 in. (105.41 x 134.3 x 2.86 cm) (canvas) 67 in. (170.18 cm) (diagonal)
Medium: Oil on canvas