Forest Path with People Strolling c. 1646

Jacob van Ruisdael painted “Forest Path with People Strolling” using oil on wood in the Dutch Golden Age. Ruisdael masterfully employs the material qualities of oil paint to evoke the textures and atmosphere of the forest. The lush greens and browns are built up in layers, capturing the play of light and shadow on the foliage. Notice how the brushstrokes vary, from broad strokes defining the trees, to finer touches depicting the figures on the path. Oil painting in this period involved a complex process of layering and glazing, each stage requiring skill and patience, and of course the economic ability to afford such materials. This was an artistic practice with its own labor, skill, and traditions, separate from, but related to, the world depicted in the painting. The artwork blurs the line between the observed world and its artistic representation. It reminds us that art is never separate from the labor, skill, and social context that brings it into being.