River Landscape with Ferry

Niederländische Malerei 1645–1660, 1649

A river spans the lower edge of this horizontal landscape painting, and winds into the distance to our right, below towering white clouds in a blue sky above. The clouds sweep up and toward us from the low horizon line, which is about a quarter of the way up the canvas. Rowboats, sailboats, and ducks dot the river to our right. The long, shallow ferry boat near the bottom center of the painting transports a pair of horses and a carriage, which is occupied by at least four seated people. More men, women, and a nursing woman fill the ferry around the carriage and animals. A herd of six cows stand at the water’s edge to the left, and two people sit nearby. Two more horse-drawn carriages filled with people head away from us. A church is visible in the middle distance through a break in the tall trees on the riverbank. Another church and buildings line the riverbank in the deep distance to our right.
Artist
Niederländische Malerei 1645–1660
Date
1649
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
101.5 × 134.8 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

A river spans the lower edge of this horizontal landscape painting, and winds into the distance to our right, below towering white clouds in a blue sky above. The clouds sweep up and toward us from the low horizon line, which is about a quarter of the way up the canvas. Rowboats, sailboats, and ducks dot the river to our right. The long, shallow ferry boat near the bottom center of the painting transports a pair of horses and a carriage, which is occupied by at least four seated people. More men, women, and a nursing woman fill the ferry around the carriage and animals. A herd of six cows stand at the water’s edge to the left, and two people sit nearby. Two more horse-drawn carriages filled with people head away from us. A church is visible in the middle distance through a break in the tall trees on the riverbank. Another church and buildings line the riverbank in the deep distance to our right.

Niederländische Malerei 1645–1660