View of the Fortifications at Gennep on the Maas River
Salomon van Ruysdael
Description
Subject Matter:
This landscape depicts the fort overlooking the Maas River at Gennep, a town of strategic military importance in the southeastern the Netherlands. The painting commemorates the recapture of Gennep by the Dutch from the Spanish armies in 1641 during the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648) in which the Dutch won their independence from Spain. From the battlements of the fort waves an orange flag, a reference to the House of Orange whose members were instrumental in the formation of the Dutch Republic.
Physical Description:
The low horizon used in this landscape painting creates a sense of expansive sky and flat terrain, which is divided equally between river and land. Figures and animals engage in variety of activities on the riverbank and in boats, including fishing and ferrying cargo and animals. Silhouetted against the vast sky stands a fortress on a spur of land with an orange flag flying from its tower. The opposite bank is visible in the distance as a dark broken line across the shining stretch of water.
Usage Rights:
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