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The windswept countryside in Ruisdael's painting looks entirely natural. Clouds float in the sky, casting shadows over trees, rocky crags, and a river, over which people and animals make a somewhat hazardous journey. Ruisdael carefully organized the composition to lead our eyes across the painting's surface and included certain features for their subtle symbolism - the dead tree and unstable bridge are intended to remind us of the passage of time and the unpredictability of life.
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