A Stream by a Wood
- Artist: Meindert Hobbema
- Date: about 1663
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
"This is the 'A Stream by a Wood' painted in the Dutch Golden Age style, specifically attributed to Meindert Hobbema. Created around 1663, it's an oil on wood painting. Let's take a closer look at this work. You might notice how the artist has structured the scene using elements such as the treeline, path, and pond in the middle of the composition. However, if we were to compare this piece with another version by Hobbema, also housed in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, we can see that he made significant changes for his final work. He removed certain elements, such as the willow pollards and dead branch, to create a more animated scene. The figures have been moved forward, with one of them now serving as a shepherd leading sheep. Additionally, Hobbema widened the view by incorporating a road and two more figures on the left-hand side."
See it in person
A Stream by a Wood 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.
