Jacob van Ruisdael's naturalistic style and symbolic landscapes

Jacob Van Ruisdael

Dutch Landscape Painter

Jacob van Ruisdael (1628/29-83) is stated to be the "pre-eminent Dutch landscape painter of the seventeenth century" (Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts, 2006) and is well-known for the number of subjects he depicted in his painting which is as of yet unmatched. Jacob van Ruisdael is noted for the "wealth of clearly observed naturalistic detail in his works." (Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts, 2006)

Ruisdael's Talents Explored

It is reported that the reason that Ruisdael is one of the greatest masters of the Golden Age of Dutch painting is the "grandeur of Ruisdael's compositions coupled with his skill in portraying natural phenomena and carefully observed detail..." (Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts, 2006) Ruisdael was a contemporary of Rembrandt and had a talent for making the familiar in life appear as remarkable including:

(1) Knotted tree trunks;

(2) Dense foliage;

(3) Brooding skies; and (4) Choppy seas. (Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts, 2006)

III. Examination of the Style of Ruisdael

Jacob van Ruisdael, whose uncle was also a painter, is stated to represent a "much more advanced style" than his uncle Solomon. Ruisdael held color to be a chief thing to him and his pictures are stated to be composed of "bright tones which must have been perfectly glorious when they were fresh." (Ansell and Fraprie, 2007) Ruisdael's works are stated by Ansell and Fraprie to be "generally...looked upon as the work of a melancholy man pursued by bad luck, a contention of which we have not the slightest proof as a matter of fact. They are as typical of the splendid Baroque style as landscapes can be." (Ansell and Fraprie, 2007)

Ruisdael portrayed nature precisely as nature really is instead of the "simple enjoyment of nature's moods" as many landscapes artists choose to employ. Ruisdael prefers a style that is "...more complicated and vigorous in his landscapes..." (Ansell and Fraprie, 2007) the colors of Ruisdael's paintings are reported to have "become much darker with time, and appeal to us more through the great contrasts of the amassed effect and his handling of light and shade, even than through their delicate, wonderfully executed structure." (Ansell and Fraprie, 2007) the individuals who founded the French Impressionist school greatly admired Ruisdael and regarded Ruisdael "as their forerunner, chiefly on account of his style of drawing and his strong lights with small patches of color." (Ansell and Fraprie, 2007)

Ruisdael possesses the ability to "render nature's subtleties in a faithful manner that botanists have been able to identify species of plants and trees in his paintings and oceanographers have marveled at his accurate depiction of breaking waves." (Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts, 2006) it is also stated of Ruisdael's sea paintings as follows: "As a painter of the sea, he far surpasses all the marine artists." (Cundall, 2007) the following picture is Ruisdael's 'Rough Seas with a Pier' labeled Figure 2.

Figure 2

Rough Seas with a Pier

Source: www.casa-in-italia.com/artpx/dut/Ruisdael.htm

The work of Cundall (2007) entitled: "The Landscape and Pastoral Painters of Holland: Ruisdael, Hobbema, Cuijp, Potter" states that it is stated that Ruisdael's "sea pieces...are easily distinguished from the works of the same kind; they carry the seal of his genius as all the rest. The following illustration is Ruisdael's painting 'Spruces and Waterfall'.

Figure 3

Spruces and Waterfall

Source: www.casa-in-italia.com/artpx/dut/Ruisdael.htm

Cundall reports it having been stated of Ruisdael that he is "beyond all dispute, the greatest of the Dutch landscape painters. In the works of no other do we find that feeling for the poetry of Northern nature and perfection of representation united to the same degree. With admirable drawing he combined a knowledge of chiaroscuro in its most multifarious aspects, a coloring powerful and warm, and a mastery of the brush which, while never too smooth...ranges from the tenderest and most minute touch to the broadest, freest and most marrowy execution. The prevailing tone of his coloring is a full, decided green." (2007)

Summary and Conclusion

As noted in this brief study Jacob Van Ruisdael was a celebrated painter however, it was not until after his own lifetime that this was so therefore, he never enjoyed the vast amount of praise given to him by other artists and art critiques. Ruisdael's work included naturalistic details and dashes of color or light which were his trademarks in the world of art. Ruisdael was a contemporary of Rembrandt and was accredited by the French Impressionist movement as having been a forerunner to that movement.

Ruisdael was not content to merely portray the landscape as calm and unmoving but instead preferred a dynamic representation of the landscape complete with its movements and most dramatic moods, always choosing the dramatic over the simplistic representation of the subject in nature chosen for his paintings. Ruisdael's paintings have due to his choice of greens appear somewhat brownish in the present however, the artistry and talent of Ruisdael can clearly be observed and his painting easily distinguished from other landscape artists of his time.