View of Naarden

Landscape painting was one of the most popular genres in seventeenth-century Holland, and Jacob van Ruisdael, who was born into a family of famous painters, was undoubtedly its greatest exponent. Despite the fact that its compositional structure displays great maturity, the landscape here was produced early in the painter's career and reflects the influence of Jan van Goyen, Hercules Pietersz Segers and Hendrick Goltzius. The perspective is perfect, and the lower-than-usual skyline gives great prominence to the sky. The use of light and chiaroscuro also echoes the work of Rembrandt.