Artwork
Winter Landscape near Haarlem
Winter Landscape near Haarlem is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob van Ruisdael. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Städel Museum.
About this work
Overview
Jacob van Ruisdael’s Winter Landscape near Haarlem is an oil painting on canvas measuring roughly 14½ by 12½ inches. Executed in the mid‑17th century, it depicts a snow‑covered plain with leafless trees, a winding road, a modest cottage, and a solitary lamp‑post attended by two travelers and a dog. The work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age and is presently held by the Städel Museum in Frankfurt.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a quiet winter tableau, emphasizing the starkness of the season while retaining a sense of human presence. The travelers and their dog, positioned beside the lamp‑post, suggest movement and domestic activity within an otherwise desolate, snow‑blanketed landscape, inviting contemplation of solitude and endurance.
Technique & Style
Ruisdael renders the snow and sky with delicate, layered brushwork, achieving subtle tonal variations that convey atmospheric depth. The muted palette of whites, grays, and earth tones reflects the subdued light of a winter day, while the precise rendering of the trees and architecture demonstrates his meticulous approach to landscape realism.
History & Provenance
The painting was recorded in the 1911 catalogue raisonné by Hofstede de Groot, who noted its dimensions and subject details. It appeared in the Sedelmeyer sale catalogue with a full signature, though later Frankfurt records omit the signature. The work was exhibited in Vienna in 1873 (catalogue number 165) before entering the Städel’s collection, where it remains on view.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and etcher. He is generally considered the pre-eminent landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age, a period of great wealth and cultural achievement when…
