River View with a Village Church
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
25 1/2 x 38 1/2 in. (64.8 x 97.8 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Adele L. Lehman, in memory of Arthur Lehman, 1965
Accession Number
65.181.11
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jan van Goyen's *River View with a Village* captures the serene beauty of the Dutch countryside during the Golden Age of the 17th century Painted in oil on canvas, this expansive landscape (25½ x 38½ inches) depicts a tranquil river scene dotted with boats, a modest village church, and distant hills under a vast, atmospheric sky. As one of the pioneers of Dutch realism, van Goyen (1596–1656) specialized in such tonal landscapes, emphasizing subtle gradations of color—often in earthy grays and browns—to evoke the fleeting effects of light, weather, and mood. Van Goyen's innovative technique br...
About the Artist
Jan van Goyen · 1596–1656
Important Dutch landscapist known for his so-called 'tonal style'. Comment on works: Landscapes; Marines; Views.