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Lot Essay
From the late 1620s Jan van Goyen began to move away from the artistic style of his youth, which was deeply influenced by the vibrant works of his teacher Esaias van de Velde, a pioneer of naturalism in Dutch landscape painting. Van de Velde's impact on Van Goyen was profound and is clearly visible in his work from the time of his training through the 1620s. Gradually abandoning his teacher's emphasis on detail, strong spots of color and crowded arrangements, Van Goyen simplified his compositions, loosened his handling and adopted a tonal, more uniform palette. Shortly before 1630, by the time the present lot was painted, his distinctive style moved ever closer towards the mature periode of the 1640s, which would solidify Van Goyen's position as one of the most influential artists of the Dutch Golden Age.
With its sense of realism and neutral colours, the present lot belongs firmly to Van Goyen's 'tonal phase'. The works produced during this period are characterised by a low horizon line, monochromatic palette and greater naturalism. Here, a low horizon meets an ominous and clouded sky, under which three figures rest peacefully on a sandy mound beside a farmstead flanked by two trees. Another farm is visible in the distance in this airy and light composition. Although the luminous blues, greens and warm tones of his earlier career are still present, there is a clear tendency towards subduing the palette with the prevalence of neutral grays, umbers, ochres and earthen greens. Even at this relatively early stage in his career, this work possesses a facility of handling and fluidity of brushwork that presages Van Goyen's later oeuvre. The figures and buildings are confidently conceived through fluid strokes that result in a superb three-dimensional effect. Van Goyen has chosen a familiar and simple theme, enveloping the tranquil figures in a palpable and serene atmosphere of golden tones. Within this monochrome harmony it is the atmosphere that brings to the image to life.
With its sense of realism and neutral colours, the present lot belongs firmly to Van Goyen's 'tonal phase'. The works produced during this period are characterised by a low horizon line, monochromatic palette and greater naturalism. Here, a low horizon meets an ominous and clouded sky, under which three figures rest peacefully on a sandy mound beside a farmstead flanked by two trees. Another farm is visible in the distance in this airy and light composition. Although the luminous blues, greens and warm tones of his earlier career are still present, there is a clear tendency towards subduing the palette with the prevalence of neutral grays, umbers, ochres and earthen greens. Even at this relatively early stage in his career, this work possesses a facility of handling and fluidity of brushwork that presages Van Goyen's later oeuvre. The figures and buildings are confidently conceived through fluid strokes that result in a superb three-dimensional effect. Van Goyen has chosen a familiar and simple theme, enveloping the tranquil figures in a palpable and serene atmosphere of golden tones. Within this monochrome harmony it is the atmosphere that brings to the image to life.