A River Scene, with a Hut on an Island
- Artist: Jan van Goyen
- Date: 1640-5
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A River Scene, with a Hut on an Island" painted by Jan van Goyen. As you can see, the scene depicts a river with several boats and a muddy island in the middle. What's interesting about this painting is that it's similar to another piece by the same artist, but there are some notable differences.
Look at the island - in the other picture, it was low tide, but here it seems like high water. And notice how the church on the horizon has a tower instead of a spire. The boats are also being used for transport rather than fishing. In fact, the larger sailing boat is towing a tender to help its passengers disembark.
The artist has really captured the movement and activity in the foreground, but it's the sky that dominates both pictures. However, here the contrasts between the dark rainclouds and the fluffy white cumulus clouds are more marked than in the other painting. The light on the horizon is also brighter, as if a rain shower has passed leaving behind a clearer day.
The artist used oil on wood to create this piece, which was painted around 1640-5.
See it in person
A River Scene, with a Hut on an Island 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.
