A River Landscape
- Artist: Joris van der Haagen
- Date: probably about 1650-60
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "A River Landscape" by Joris van der Haagen. The clear water catches the cool evening light, and the gnarled trunks of the trees give a sense of age and permanence. But overhead, the leaves are turning brown as autumn brings inevitable change.
Van der Haagen's style is distinct from those artists who had been to Italy, painting instead in the cooler, northern light of the Dutch Republic. His work focuses on native flora and scenery, evoking a sense of distance and calm that would have been considered modern at the time.
Look closely, and you'll notice the figures in the picture: travellers resting under the trees, a donkey drinking from the river, and people in conversation on the open grass. Even the goats lying hidden in the shadows are rendered with great attention to detail.
Van der Haagen lived in The Hague, painting mainly landscapes that often featured heavily wooded areas with rivers and figures. His use of dark, muted colours was characteristic of his work, but also distinct from the softer light of Italian-influenced artists.
See it in person
A River Landscape hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
