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Jacob van Ruisdael (1628/9-1682)

A Wooded Landscape with Waterfall, c.1670

Ruisdael is probably the pre-eminent Dutch landscape artist, renowned for his poetical, romantic yet precise vision, which is much in evidence here. Although the subject seems simple enough, the composition is complex, with one of the main focal points - the silvery rush of water in the lower left hand corner - made more turbulent by a fallen tree trunk which then leads the eye up to the trees (a technique he used in several other works) and out to the distant landscape beyond and the threatening clouds above.

This is landscape painting for its own sake, glorying in the close observation of the behaviour of the water, the clouds and almost botanical correctness of the trees, whose species (oak, pine and birch amongst others) are clearly identifiable. In the late 18th century, a group of fisher folk were added at the lower right, presumably to try to enliven the image to suit the tastes of the time, but these have since been removed.

Ruisdael

Ruisdael was a native of Haarlem, but moved to Amsterdam in 1659 where he remained for the rest of his life. Very little documented information about him survives, but he was an extraordinarily prolific artist - over 700 paintings by him survive. He was fascinated by torrents and waterfalls, experimenting with different compositions and producing over 150 paintings in which they feature. His work had an abiding influence on later artists, notably Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable.