DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49256#0125
K © ï ffî g
Adam Bartsch, who lias drawn up the Catalogue of the works
of Jacob Ruysdael, attributes to this artist only seven prints,
which hc désignâtes under the titles : The Little Bridge, The
Two Pensants and their Dog, The Cottage on the Top of the
Hill, The Travellers, The Field bordered with Trees, The
Cluster of Three Oaks, and The Brook running through the
Village. These are, to use the expression of this learned icono-
grapher, rather written than drawn. In fact they exhibit in
their execution an extreme rapidity and lightness. M. le
Comte Rigal, whose cabinet of prints was so remarkable,
possessed, besides the seven pièces described by Bartsch, three
other very remarkable ones :—
The View of a Country covered with Water. A ladder serves
to mount two elevated hillocks united by a small bridge, at the
extremity of which is a cluster of large trees : towards the
right a hut built on piles ; in the horizon, mountains ; and in
the foreground, thickets bathed by the waters.
A Country traversed by a Brook, the banks of which are
shaded by trees ; beyond is a cottage, and in the sky the letters
J. R. united (a composition in an oval form).
A Landscape,'partly bordered by a Pond. Large trees, two
cottages, and two villagers, one seated, the other on foot fol-
lowed by his dog. At the foot of the engraving may be read,
J. Ruisdael, f. 1647.
At the sale of the Rigal cabinet, which took place 1817,
'The Little Bridge, The Two Peasants and their Dog, and The
Cottage on the Top of the Hill, were sold for £3 3s. The Tra-
vellers rose to £8 8s. The Field bordered with Trees, to £4 4s.
The Cluster of Three Oaks,to £6 13s. 4d. The Brook running
through the Village, to £32 1s. 8d. The view of a Country
covered with Water, to £5 3s. 4d. A Country traversed by a
Brook went at £4 3s. 4d. ; and the Landscape bordered by a
Pond, at £33 5s.
Ruysdael has left a great number of drawings in Indian ink
and in crayon ; the Muséum of the Louvre possesses : An
Effect of the Sun. A Landscape, ivith Cottages ; and The
View of a Road crossed by a Brook. In 1775, at the sale of the
rich cabinet of Mariette, the celebrated amateur, a Landscape—
in the foreground a trunk of a tree, and in the background a
village spire—rose to £187 19s. Two other drawings—one
represcnting a Cottage, the other a Mill—-were sold at £400.
A gallery of paintings is not complété unless it contains some
by Ruysdael, who, although he died young, has left a great
number.
The Muséum of the Louvre possesses six of his, the most
remarkable of which are :—
The Forest crossed by a River, to which cattle corne to drink,
the latter painted by Berghein, estimated in 1810 at £1,041,
and £1,250 in 1816. We bave given in these pages a copy of
this admirable picture.
The Thicket, estimated at the abovementioned cpochs at
£125 and £291, and which is w7ell worth from £400 to £500.
The Effect of the Sun, with the Windmill, estimated at
£291 13s. and £333 16s., and which is well worth double the
amount ; and the Tempest, estimated during the Empire at
£125, and £625 at the Restoration, and which is well worth
from £1,000 to £1,200.
The Belvedere, AT Vienna, possesses two of Ruysdael’s
pictures,—A part of a Forest crossed by a brook, and a Wooded
Country.
The Pinacothèque of Munich counts no loss than nine ;
amongst which we must mention,—a Cascade, a Steep Road
covered with trees and brushwcod, and an Effect of Snoic.
The Gallery at Dresden has seven ; of which a Village
situated in a w’ood, the Château de Bentheim, and a Landscape
known by the name of the Hunt of Ruysdael, with figures by
Adrian van de Velde, are the most remarkable.
The Muséum at Amsterdam possesses only two of his;-
a magnificent Cascade and a Hilly Landscape.
The Muséum of The Hague contains three : a Cascade, a
Sea Shore, and a View of the Environs of Haerlem.
The Muséum at Berlin contains two, and that of Madrid
the same number.—Lnteriors of For ests.
The Hermitage at St. Petersburg contains the greatest
share of Ruysdael’s Works, many of which are excellent. We
must mention,—A Sandy Road, on which is apeasant followed
by his dog ; A Pathway in a Wood and upon the border of a
stagnant pool ; A Landscape, ornamentcd with an old beech-
tree (the favourite tree of this artist), struck by lightning, and
fallen into the waters of a torrent ; lastly, A large Oak Tree
blown down.
Let us not forget the English, who are great admirers of
the pictures of Ruysdael. There are two in the rich gallery of
Sir Robert Peel : a Cascade and a Frozen Canal.
These pictures are thus described by Waagen :—
1. A grand waterfall, of such truth that you could fancy y ou
heard it roar; of a force and freshness in the tone, and
care in the execution, as we very rarely meet with in
such subjects by this master. His model for such scenes
was evidently Everdingen, who was rather older, and
during a résidence in Norway drew from the fountain
of nature. This picture, which came originally from
the celebrated Brentano collection in Amsterdam, was
purchased by Sir Robert from the collection of Lord
Charles Townshcnd.
2. A winter landscape, with a view of a canal, along which
runs a road. The feeling of winter is here expressed
with more truth than I hâve hitherto seen. At the
same time the drawing, light and shade, and gradation,
are masterly, and the touch wonderfully light and free.
The Bridgewater Gallery contains five Ruysdaels :■—
1. View on the plain near Haarlem, which is covered with
trees; a ray of light falls between dark shadows of
clouds. The picture, which is extremely well executed.
inspires a feeling of deep melancholy.
2. A wood, through which a road leads to a village, the
church of which appears. The numerous figures of
horsemen, a cart, and other figures are by Philip Wou-
vermann. This fine picture, in which the feelings of
country life are vividly expressed, is remarkable because
it shows the influence which Hobbema sometimes hacl
over Ruysdael. In the intention and treatment it so
much resembles him, that it is ascribed to him in the
catalogue.
3. A fioodgate, with a windmill and other buildings ; a pic-
ture which is particularly pleasing by the brilliant
sunlight, the clear water, and the powerful colouring.
4. By the side of a wooded hill a stream flows, in which two
fishermen are drawing their nets; the coolness of the
w ood and water is particularly attractive in this picture,
the tone of w’hich is dark.
5. A rapid stream rushes through a thick forest. Some
charcoal burners and w’oodcutters heighten the feeling
of rudeness and solitude which predominate inthisdark-
toned picture, which was formerly an ornament of the
Lapcricre collection.
63
Adam Bartsch, who lias drawn up the Catalogue of the works
of Jacob Ruysdael, attributes to this artist only seven prints,
which hc désignâtes under the titles : The Little Bridge, The
Two Pensants and their Dog, The Cottage on the Top of the
Hill, The Travellers, The Field bordered with Trees, The
Cluster of Three Oaks, and The Brook running through the
Village. These are, to use the expression of this learned icono-
grapher, rather written than drawn. In fact they exhibit in
their execution an extreme rapidity and lightness. M. le
Comte Rigal, whose cabinet of prints was so remarkable,
possessed, besides the seven pièces described by Bartsch, three
other very remarkable ones :—
The View of a Country covered with Water. A ladder serves
to mount two elevated hillocks united by a small bridge, at the
extremity of which is a cluster of large trees : towards the
right a hut built on piles ; in the horizon, mountains ; and in
the foreground, thickets bathed by the waters.
A Country traversed by a Brook, the banks of which are
shaded by trees ; beyond is a cottage, and in the sky the letters
J. R. united (a composition in an oval form).
A Landscape,'partly bordered by a Pond. Large trees, two
cottages, and two villagers, one seated, the other on foot fol-
lowed by his dog. At the foot of the engraving may be read,
J. Ruisdael, f. 1647.
At the sale of the Rigal cabinet, which took place 1817,
'The Little Bridge, The Two Peasants and their Dog, and The
Cottage on the Top of the Hill, were sold for £3 3s. The Tra-
vellers rose to £8 8s. The Field bordered with Trees, to £4 4s.
The Cluster of Three Oaks,to £6 13s. 4d. The Brook running
through the Village, to £32 1s. 8d. The view of a Country
covered with Water, to £5 3s. 4d. A Country traversed by a
Brook went at £4 3s. 4d. ; and the Landscape bordered by a
Pond, at £33 5s.
Ruysdael has left a great number of drawings in Indian ink
and in crayon ; the Muséum of the Louvre possesses : An
Effect of the Sun. A Landscape, ivith Cottages ; and The
View of a Road crossed by a Brook. In 1775, at the sale of the
rich cabinet of Mariette, the celebrated amateur, a Landscape—
in the foreground a trunk of a tree, and in the background a
village spire—rose to £187 19s. Two other drawings—one
represcnting a Cottage, the other a Mill—-were sold at £400.
A gallery of paintings is not complété unless it contains some
by Ruysdael, who, although he died young, has left a great
number.
The Muséum of the Louvre possesses six of his, the most
remarkable of which are :—
The Forest crossed by a River, to which cattle corne to drink,
the latter painted by Berghein, estimated in 1810 at £1,041,
and £1,250 in 1816. We bave given in these pages a copy of
this admirable picture.
The Thicket, estimated at the abovementioned cpochs at
£125 and £291, and which is w7ell worth from £400 to £500.
The Effect of the Sun, with the Windmill, estimated at
£291 13s. and £333 16s., and which is well worth double the
amount ; and the Tempest, estimated during the Empire at
£125, and £625 at the Restoration, and which is well worth
from £1,000 to £1,200.
The Belvedere, AT Vienna, possesses two of Ruysdael’s
pictures,—A part of a Forest crossed by a brook, and a Wooded
Country.
The Pinacothèque of Munich counts no loss than nine ;
amongst which we must mention,—a Cascade, a Steep Road
covered with trees and brushwcod, and an Effect of Snoic.
The Gallery at Dresden has seven ; of which a Village
situated in a w’ood, the Château de Bentheim, and a Landscape
known by the name of the Hunt of Ruysdael, with figures by
Adrian van de Velde, are the most remarkable.
The Muséum at Amsterdam possesses only two of his;-
a magnificent Cascade and a Hilly Landscape.
The Muséum of The Hague contains three : a Cascade, a
Sea Shore, and a View of the Environs of Haerlem.
The Muséum at Berlin contains two, and that of Madrid
the same number.—Lnteriors of For ests.
The Hermitage at St. Petersburg contains the greatest
share of Ruysdael’s Works, many of which are excellent. We
must mention,—A Sandy Road, on which is apeasant followed
by his dog ; A Pathway in a Wood and upon the border of a
stagnant pool ; A Landscape, ornamentcd with an old beech-
tree (the favourite tree of this artist), struck by lightning, and
fallen into the waters of a torrent ; lastly, A large Oak Tree
blown down.
Let us not forget the English, who are great admirers of
the pictures of Ruysdael. There are two in the rich gallery of
Sir Robert Peel : a Cascade and a Frozen Canal.
These pictures are thus described by Waagen :—
1. A grand waterfall, of such truth that you could fancy y ou
heard it roar; of a force and freshness in the tone, and
care in the execution, as we very rarely meet with in
such subjects by this master. His model for such scenes
was evidently Everdingen, who was rather older, and
during a résidence in Norway drew from the fountain
of nature. This picture, which came originally from
the celebrated Brentano collection in Amsterdam, was
purchased by Sir Robert from the collection of Lord
Charles Townshcnd.
2. A winter landscape, with a view of a canal, along which
runs a road. The feeling of winter is here expressed
with more truth than I hâve hitherto seen. At the
same time the drawing, light and shade, and gradation,
are masterly, and the touch wonderfully light and free.
The Bridgewater Gallery contains five Ruysdaels :■—
1. View on the plain near Haarlem, which is covered with
trees; a ray of light falls between dark shadows of
clouds. The picture, which is extremely well executed.
inspires a feeling of deep melancholy.
2. A wood, through which a road leads to a village, the
church of which appears. The numerous figures of
horsemen, a cart, and other figures are by Philip Wou-
vermann. This fine picture, in which the feelings of
country life are vividly expressed, is remarkable because
it shows the influence which Hobbema sometimes hacl
over Ruysdael. In the intention and treatment it so
much resembles him, that it is ascribed to him in the
catalogue.
3. A fioodgate, with a windmill and other buildings ; a pic-
ture which is particularly pleasing by the brilliant
sunlight, the clear water, and the powerful colouring.
4. By the side of a wooded hill a stream flows, in which two
fishermen are drawing their nets; the coolness of the
w ood and water is particularly attractive in this picture,
the tone of w’hich is dark.
5. A rapid stream rushes through a thick forest. Some
charcoal burners and w’oodcutters heighten the feeling
of rudeness and solitude which predominate inthisdark-
toned picture, which was formerly an ornament of the
Lapcricre collection.
63