Wooded Landscape with Waterfall and Approaching Storm by Jacob van Ruisdael

Wooded Landscape with Waterfall and Approaching Storm c. 1655

oil, canvas

baroque

oil

landscape

waterfall

charcoal drawing

possibly oil pastel

oil painting

canvas

acrylic on canvas

forest

underpainting

seascape

painting painterly

animal drawing portrait

14_17th-century

surrealist

watercolor

building

Jacob van Ruisdael's "Wooded Landscape with Waterfall and Approaching Storm" (c. 1655) is a captivating example of Dutch landscape painting. The painting depicts a lush forest scene, with a cascading waterfall flowing through a rocky stream. The looming storm clouds in the distance add a sense of drama and foreboding, while the small cottage nestled in the woods offers a sense of peace and tranquility. Ruisdael's masterful use of light and shadow creates a sense of depth and atmosphere, highlighting the beauty and power of nature. The painting is now housed in the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, Germany.

Comments

stadelmuseum about 1 year ago

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Dark clouds push their way in front of the sun; the wind blows in fits and starts. Peasants seek refuge in their huts. The sense of restlessness has also infected the brook pouring over the rocks in a small foaming waterfall at the lower edge of the scene. Even the chapped tree trunks seem to quake with apprehension. The rising storm is almost palpable. Every one of Jacob van Ruisdael’s brushstrokes is instilled with the change in the weather. It is not least of all for that quality that he is considered the most innovative landscape painter of the Dutch ‘Golden Age’.