Salomon van RUYSDAEL
Dutch 1600/03-1670
River landscape with boats
c.1640
oil on canvas
105.2 x 111.0 cm
Felton Bequest 1933
4729-3

Van Ruysdael is known as a pioneer of the movement towards naturalism, a strong characteristic of Dutch seventeenth century landscape art. He had a relatively narrow range of subjects and is best known for the atmospheric river scenes that he painted from the 1630s onwards. Van Ruysdael depicted calm waters as the setting for the important and busy activity of river life.