|
With Salomon van Ruysdael, van Goyen was a founder of the Haarlem school of Dutch landscape painting. A tireless draughtsman, he left many sketches made from nature; it is possible his paintings were inspired by real-life impressions rather than invented in the studio. Yet they do have metaphysical content. The fresh foliage on the old sturdy tree and the peasants bustling around the lopsided shack prompt thoughts of the continuation of a way of life established over centuries, regardless of daily hardships.
|
