Hendrik Johannes Weissenbruch - The Shipping Canal at Rijswijk [1868]

Hendrik Johannes Weissenbruch - The Shipping Canal at Rijswijk [1868], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

This landscape depicts the countryside around The Hague, featuring certain specific aspects of the area: the shipping canal, with sailing boats, Laak mill and the tower of Binckhorst castle. On the opposite bank is the towpath along which barges were towed. Left, in the foreground, is a woman lifting one child and holding another's hand. They are painted rather sketchily, like part of the landscape. The painting appears to be a spontaneous snapshot of a piece of countryside on a blustery day in the summer. However, Weissenbruch (1824 - 1903) painted the scene in his studio, using sketches he had made outdoors before.

[Oil on panel, 31 x 50 cm]