View of Arnhem

Jan van Goyen depicts a view on the city of Arnhem at the Rhine, seen from the north-western direction. The cloudy sky takes up more than half of the painting’s surface. The low horizon is exceeded by only a few picture elements. Employing various light effects, Van Goyen skillfully creates an impressive depth to the space: beyond the dark foreground is a brightly sun lit strip of land with a horse and cart. In the middle ground of the painting, the four churches, amongst them prominently in the centre the Grote Kerk, are painted in yet darker hues. The subsequent light river, against which a windmill protrudes, pulls the gaze into the distance. The wide, seemingly random landscape is characteristic for Dutch art.