A river landscape with fishermen

Salomon Ruysdael's River Landscape with Fishermen, dated 1631, is an early work by one of the founders of the Dutch tonal landscape. Ruysdael, uncle of the more famous Jacob van Ruisdael, was among the Haarlem painters who revolutionized landscape painting in the late 1620s by replacing the colorful Mannerist convention with subdued, atmospheric views. His tranquil river scenes, with their restrained palettes and expansive skies, helped define the character of Dutch Golden Age landscape.

The oil on canvas shows Ruysdael's characteristic tonal unity, with a restricted palette of grays, browns, and muted greens unified by atmospheric light. The low horizon line, expansive sky, and the subtle reflections on the water surface demonstrate his mastery of the tonal landscape format.