Artwork
Summer
Summer is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Jacob Maris. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1895 by Jacob Maris, a prominent Dutch landscape painter associated with the Hague School, *Summer* is an oil painting that resides in the Rijksmuseum’s collection. The work presents a tranquil, mist‑shrouded scene where water, bordered by trees, reflects a muted sky, conveying a quiet moment in the Dutch countryside.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a still body of water—likely a river or pond—set against a horizon of pale, hazy sky. Trees line the banks, some stripped of foliage while others hint at the first green of the season, suggesting a transitional summer atmosphere that emphasizes calm and subtle change in nature.
Technique & Style
Maris employs a thick, impasto application of paint, laying down visible, textured brushstrokes that capture the fleeting quality of light and atmosphere. This approach aligns the piece with late‑19th‑century Impressionist concerns, using rapid, wet strokes to convey the softness of mist and the reflective quality of the water.
History & Provenance
Painted toward the end of Maris’s career, *Summer* reflects his mature handling of light and weather, hallmarks of his contribution to the Hague School. After its creation, the work entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings, where it remains part of the museum’s representation of Dutch landscape painting from the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Henricus Maris (August 25, 1837 – August 7, 1899) was a Dutch painter, who with his brothers Willem and Matthijs belonged to what has come to be known as the Hague School of painters.
