Artwork
Landscape with a View toward Haarlem (The Goldweigher's Field)
Landscape with a View toward Haarlem (The Goldweigher's Field) is an ink print by the Baroque artist Rembrandt. It dates from 1651 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1651, this print by Rembrandt van Rijn depicts a tranquil Dutch countryside. The composition presents a meandering river that bisects a low‑lying plain, leading the eye toward a distant horizon where a cluster of buildings and a church spire emerge. A solitary figure walks along the water’s edge, adding a human scale to the expansive landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures an everyday rural setting, emphasizing the quiet relationship between land, water, and modest architecture typical of mid‑17th‑century Holland. The lone traveler suggests contemplation of the natural world, while the distant structures hint at the proximity of community life, reflecting the period’s interest in the harmony of nature and human habitation.
Technique & Style
Executed in etching and drypoint on laid paper, the work combines the fine lines of acid‑etched grooves with the rough, burr‑laden strokes of drypoint. This dual approach yields a textured surface where delicate hatching defines sky and water, and more vigorous, scratchy marks render foliage and the figure, creating a dynamic contrast of softness and immediacy.
History & Provenance
Signed by Rembrandt in the lower corner, the print belongs to a series of landscape studies he produced during the early 1650s. It was likely intended for a limited edition market, typical of the artist’s printmaking practice at the time, and has since been recorded in several major European collections.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
![View of Houtewael near the Sint Anthoniespoort [recto], by Rembrandt](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/rembrandt--view-of-houtewael-near-the-sint-anthoniespoort-recto--2919925de9060e70-w320.webp)
![View of Scheveningen [recto], by Jan van Goyen](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/jan-van-goyen--view-of-scheveningen-recto--0f9cb319c9b082d3-w320.webp)
