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A Wood near The Hague, with a view of the Huis ten Bosch
van Kessel, Janc.1665
Dulwich Picture Gallery
London, United Kingdom
"For years, scholars could not quite put their finger on who was responsible for this landscape – it manages to be reminiscent of the work of both Jacob van Ruisdael and of Jan Wijnants, without being quite “right” for either. As early as 1927, the name of Jan van Kessel was suggested, and this has been confirmed recently with the discovery of a sketch for the central oak.
The dome on the horizon is that of the Huis ten Bosch, built for the widow of the Stadtholder, Amalia van Solms, between 1645 and 1652; it is now the home of the Queen of the Netherlands."
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Details
- Title: A Wood near The Hague, with a view of the Huis ten Bosch
- Creator Lifespan: 1641 - 1680
- Date: c.1665
- Physical Dimensions: w1540 x h1187 cm
- Type: Painting
- Medium: Oil
- Work Notes: A view in the Haagse Bos to the east of The Hague with, in the background, the Huis ten Bosch built 1645-52 for Amalia van Solms, wife of the Stadholder, Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange. Richter recorded a JVR monogram (for Ruisdael), but this was presumably a later addition, since removed. An attribution to Van Kessel was first proposed by Simon in 1927 and is accepted by Davies, who proposes a date of c.1665. A study for the central tree is at Brussels (Davies, D32). The figures have been attributed to Adriaen van de Velde and to Lingelbach but, according to Davies, are characteristic of Kessel.
- Work Nationality: Dutch
- Support: Canvas
- Provenance: London, Sir Francis Bourgeois, 1811; Bourgeois Bequest, 1811 (as 'Ruysdael')
- Further Information: Little is known of Van Kessel's life. He is thought to have trained with Jacob van Ruisdael and was active in Amsterdam as a painter of landscapes and topographical views. His works show the influence of Ruisdael and Hobbema, and later of Wijnants
- Artist: van Kessel, Jan
- Acquisition Method: Bourgeois, Sir Peter Francis (Bequest, 1811)
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