DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49256#0113
RIIYSDAEL.
9
and AVestphalia. It was there he learned to paint tliat stern and stormy nature, tliat
perpetually dark végétation, the aspect of which agreed with the sadness of his own licart ; and
there it was, as Houbraken says, lie became a painter almost unique in bis style.
Tliougli a restless and unsociable poet, a lover of solitude, fond of wandering in tire woods in
revery, and soothing the anguish of his mind by the roar of torrents, Euysdael was linked in
friendship with a painter whose character was totally different from his own: this was Nicholas
Berghem. So true it is tliat sympathy of minds does not always dépend on their resemblance.
Berghem was a nian of a gentle, amiable, and gay disposition. Being sonie ten years older than
Euysdael, he could give him advice with the authority to which his Works, his réputation, and
his school entitled him ; but there was between these artists a diversity of genius which, though
the nicn wero united, must hâve separated the painters.
Euysdael was but little understood by Berghem, and thus the union of their talents generally
produced nothing but incongruities. They were as dissimilar as the song and the elegy. Upon
the verge of the sombre forests of Euysdael, or on the brinks of his foaming torrents, Nicholas
Berghem would paint, to the satisfaction of superficial amateurs, gay and lively villagers,
careless shepherds driving a herd of cattlc to pasture, in the midst of which some white lieifers
are frolicking in awkward gambols, or else a sprightly peasant is carrying the fariner’s young
wife in his arms, while his companion is pulling an obstinate little donkoy along by the tail.
Who can be blind to such discordance, or ignorant how grievously the unity of sentiment which
reigns in the landscapes of Euysdael must be broken by the presence of these obtrusive figures,
who, with ail their gabbling, and ail their village crics, makc those lonely solitudes ring, whose
solemn silence enchants the pensive drcamcr ? Adrian van de Velde was more fortunate in his
additions to the landscapes, waterfalls, and sea views of Jacob Euysdael ; but it must be admitted
tliat the intervention of any strange hand in a masterpainting, howcver able tliat hand may be,
almost always spoils the unity of the first impression, that is to say, its grandeur. For oui-
parts, we would prefer meeting in the woods, and along the comfields, whero the taciturn fricnd
of Berghem wanders, none but those small figures, awkwardly drawn perhaps, that pass
indistinctly in the distance ; which, by simply recalling the image of man, allow the thoughts
of the spectator to flow in frcedom, and do not niake any noise in the picture.
With respect to sea subjects, we know that Euysdael cxcelled in them ; he had not to go far
to seek his models. At two leagues from Amsterdam, where ho had established himself, he
fourni the Zuyderzee ; and not far from that ail the coasts of Holland bathed by the océan.
The Dutch School boasts of many painters who hâve shone in the représentation of maritime
scènes ; but the sea views of Euysdael are easily distinguished from others of the samo
description : they bear the stamp of his genius like ail the rest of his works.* ïïis is not the
smootli and transparent sea of Jean van Goyen, the great foamy billow or the dramatic tempest
of Bakhuysen; still less is it the exact nicety and charming trutlifulncss of Van do Velde.
Euysdael’s waves are deep and sombre, but still more tln-eatcning than terrible ; the tempests
he has depicted hâve an indescribable spirit of silence and intensenoss, the aspect of which fills
the mind with inexpressible distraction, and recalls the genius of Eembrandt. The Louvre
possesscs a Sea View by this master, f in which are seen sonie vessels in a squall. The deserted
* In Ruysdael’s admirable représentations of the sea, we find the saine grand repose, and the same thorough life
and motion of the clement. A large and most excellent sea piece, with a brisk swell, and rain-clouds clearing off, is
in the gallery of the Berlin Muséum.—Kugler's Handboo'k of Paint in g.
f This picture is not the only piece of Euysdael which figures in the Muséum of the Louvre ; Une Forêt and
the Coup de Soleil are the principal works of this master, which sufîice to make him appreciatcd. The Sea View that
we hâve mentioned is one of the most beautiful description, and we cannot sufficiently déploré the fact that unskilful
retouches hâve thrown spots upon the sky which destroy its harmony.
9
and AVestphalia. It was there he learned to paint tliat stern and stormy nature, tliat
perpetually dark végétation, the aspect of which agreed with the sadness of his own licart ; and
there it was, as Houbraken says, lie became a painter almost unique in bis style.
Tliougli a restless and unsociable poet, a lover of solitude, fond of wandering in tire woods in
revery, and soothing the anguish of his mind by the roar of torrents, Euysdael was linked in
friendship with a painter whose character was totally different from his own: this was Nicholas
Berghem. So true it is tliat sympathy of minds does not always dépend on their resemblance.
Berghem was a nian of a gentle, amiable, and gay disposition. Being sonie ten years older than
Euysdael, he could give him advice with the authority to which his Works, his réputation, and
his school entitled him ; but there was between these artists a diversity of genius which, though
the nicn wero united, must hâve separated the painters.
Euysdael was but little understood by Berghem, and thus the union of their talents generally
produced nothing but incongruities. They were as dissimilar as the song and the elegy. Upon
the verge of the sombre forests of Euysdael, or on the brinks of his foaming torrents, Nicholas
Berghem would paint, to the satisfaction of superficial amateurs, gay and lively villagers,
careless shepherds driving a herd of cattlc to pasture, in the midst of which some white lieifers
are frolicking in awkward gambols, or else a sprightly peasant is carrying the fariner’s young
wife in his arms, while his companion is pulling an obstinate little donkoy along by the tail.
Who can be blind to such discordance, or ignorant how grievously the unity of sentiment which
reigns in the landscapes of Euysdael must be broken by the presence of these obtrusive figures,
who, with ail their gabbling, and ail their village crics, makc those lonely solitudes ring, whose
solemn silence enchants the pensive drcamcr ? Adrian van de Velde was more fortunate in his
additions to the landscapes, waterfalls, and sea views of Jacob Euysdael ; but it must be admitted
tliat the intervention of any strange hand in a masterpainting, howcver able tliat hand may be,
almost always spoils the unity of the first impression, that is to say, its grandeur. For oui-
parts, we would prefer meeting in the woods, and along the comfields, whero the taciturn fricnd
of Berghem wanders, none but those small figures, awkwardly drawn perhaps, that pass
indistinctly in the distance ; which, by simply recalling the image of man, allow the thoughts
of the spectator to flow in frcedom, and do not niake any noise in the picture.
With respect to sea subjects, we know that Euysdael cxcelled in them ; he had not to go far
to seek his models. At two leagues from Amsterdam, where ho had established himself, he
fourni the Zuyderzee ; and not far from that ail the coasts of Holland bathed by the océan.
The Dutch School boasts of many painters who hâve shone in the représentation of maritime
scènes ; but the sea views of Euysdael are easily distinguished from others of the samo
description : they bear the stamp of his genius like ail the rest of his works.* ïïis is not the
smootli and transparent sea of Jean van Goyen, the great foamy billow or the dramatic tempest
of Bakhuysen; still less is it the exact nicety and charming trutlifulncss of Van do Velde.
Euysdael’s waves are deep and sombre, but still more tln-eatcning than terrible ; the tempests
he has depicted hâve an indescribable spirit of silence and intensenoss, the aspect of which fills
the mind with inexpressible distraction, and recalls the genius of Eembrandt. The Louvre
possesscs a Sea View by this master, f in which are seen sonie vessels in a squall. The deserted
* In Ruysdael’s admirable représentations of the sea, we find the saine grand repose, and the same thorough life
and motion of the clement. A large and most excellent sea piece, with a brisk swell, and rain-clouds clearing off, is
in the gallery of the Berlin Muséum.—Kugler's Handboo'k of Paint in g.
f This picture is not the only piece of Euysdael which figures in the Muséum of the Louvre ; Une Forêt and
the Coup de Soleil are the principal works of this master, which sufîice to make him appreciatcd. The Sea View that
we hâve mentioned is one of the most beautiful description, and we cannot sufficiently déploré the fact that unskilful
retouches hâve thrown spots upon the sky which destroy its harmony.