Jacob van Ruisdael (Haarlem 1628 - Amsterdam 1682)

Attributable to Jacob van Ruisdael (Haarlem 1628 - Amsterdam 1682) Wooded landscape with waterfall oil on canvas 74 x 94 cm. - framed 91 x 111 cm. A wooded view crossed by a tumultuous stream that ends up crashing into a roaring waterfall: this is a work executed with quality and attention to detail easily attributable to Jacob Van Ruisdael (1628 - 1682), one of the main and most influential Flemish landscape painters of the 17th century. This is in fact a typical composition of the painter, who made the depictions of waterfalls a distinctive element in his landscapes, a trademark of his catalog, managing to depict the water splashing and foaming as it crashes on the rocks, so natural, delicate and transparent as to seem real and almost come out of the canvas. The waterfall is in fact shown in the foreground occupying the canvas in all its width, so that the spectacle created by the water seems to be directly in front of the viewer, increasing its dynamism and the sublimity of the depiction. The depiction of water flowing quickly in a convincing manner is one of the greatest challenges of landscape painting that seems to have particularly fascinated van Ruisdael, making him a true master. More than a century in advance, Van Ruisdael infused his landscapes with the typical elements of what would later be the manifesto of Romanticism: he contrasts the immense energy of nature with the feeble shapes of two buildings, a church tower and a house half-hidden by trees, timid testimonies of the presence of man. Tiny figures near the woodland paths are barely noticeable among the buildings, as if to indicate to the observer how overwhelming the force of this wild nature is. For comparative purposes, we report below some of his paintings from public collections or passed at international auctions: - Waterfall in a mountainous landscape with castle ruins, Private Collection https://www.pubhist.com/w4698 - Church by a waterfall https://www.mauritshuis.nl/it/scopri-la-collezione/collezione/153-chapel-by-a-waterfall/ - Waterfall in a Mountainous Landscape with a Ruined Castle https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacob_van_Ruisdael_-_Waterfall_in_a_Mountainous_Landscape_wi... - Waterfall with castle, 1670s Museum (institution) Dayton Art Institute https://rkd.nl/images/216819 - Vienna Palazzo Dorotheum, Auction 08.06.2021, https://www.dorotheum.com/it/l/7203940/ - Norwegian landscape with waterfall, The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg https://www.oceansbridge.com/shop/artists/r/rot-rum/ruisdael-jacob-van/waterfall-in-norway-2 - Mountain landscape with waterfall, North Carolina Museum of Art https://ncartmuseum.org/object/wooded-landscape-with-waterfall/ - Landscape with waterfall, Städtisches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt-am-Main https://www.pubhist.com/w12501 The painting is in excellent condition. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The painting is sold complete with a pleasant golden frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet. We take care of and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you. Follow us also on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/