A Road on the Slope of a Hill

A Road on the Slope of a Hill from around 1680 at the Gemaldegalerie Berlin is a late work showing the hilly terrain that Ruisdael explored in his paintings inspired by the eastern Netherlands and Germany. The elevated viewpoint creates a panoramic effect unusual in flat Dutch landscape painting. Ruisdael likely visited the Westphalian border around 1650, experiencing elevated terrain firsthand; subsequent mountain subjects draw on both observation and imagination. Oil on canvas allowed him t...

The composition uses the road's diagonal to create depth and movement through the hilly terrain. Ruisdael's late handling is broader and more atmospheric than his detailed early work.