Castle and Watermill by a River

Jacob van Ruisdael, the most celebrated Dutch landscape painter of the 1600s, composed these imaginary landscapes late in his career. The half-timbered buildings are typical of Germany, not Holland. The hilly, sometimes mountainous topography is also out of place—Holland is notoriously flat. But drama, not realism, is what van Ruisdael is after. He highlights nature’s beautiful contrasts by juxtaposing dark woods with bright clouds lit by raking, late afternoon sunlight. The serene, subdued subject evokes a melancholy and peaceful scene.