Rocky landscape
Jacob van Ruisdael·1660
Historical Context
Rocky Landscape from around 1660 at the Rijksmuseum shows Ruisdael's engagement with the dramatic terrain he encountered near the German border. The rocky landscape was unusual in flat Dutch painting and demonstrates his range. Ruisdael executed such works using layered oil glazes over a toned ground, building luminosity and atmospheric depth through careful wet-on-dry technique. By his death in 1682, his output of some seven hundred paintings had made him the most influential Dutch landscape...
Technical Analysis
The rocky terrain creates strong geological forms beneath a dramatic sky. Ruisdael's handling of stone surfaces and the surrounding vegetation renders the challenging terrain with naturalistic conviction.
