Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael, (Dutch, active Haarlem and Amsterdam, 1628/29-1682)
The Dam with the Weigh House at Amsterdam
c. 1675-80
Oil on canvas
21 x 26 inches
Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz,
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
The Philadelphia Museum of Art offers a comprehensive and enlightening look at the Dutch painter, Jacob van Ruisdael. The exhibit features paintings, sketches and etchings of the Dutch Master of Landscape painting.
The curator of the show, Lloyd DeWitt (Assistant Curator/European Painting before 1900), organized the material so that it was informative for the viewer. A great example of this is the layout of Jacob van Ruisdael's sketches for the painting The Dam with the Weigh House at Amsterdam next to the actual painting. It was fascinating to look at the sketches and then view the painting to compare what had been modified. There were also a variety of etchings that had been printed in various phases of their creation (some of the changes may or may not have been added by Jacob van Ruisdael) that gives the viewer an idea of the artist's creative process.
After I visited the show I stopped by the musueum's art store and purchased a copy of the exhibit catalogue. I wanted to learn more about the artist and to see what made him unique in history. I found out that Jacob van Ruisdael had actually changed his name from Jacob De Groyer. He changed his name along with his uncle Salomon. Jacob used van Ruisdael while Salomon used van Ruysdael. They changed their name to that of a castle near their father's birthplace of Blaricum. Salomon van Ruysdael was an accomplished painter in his own right and probably taught Jacob the art.
Jacob van Ruisdael was a doctor as well as a painter. He painted landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes often with scenes from everyday life. One thing that I liked was how Jacob van Ruisdael would show scenes with perspective and often used dead trees or other natural forms to give his paintings great depth.
Definitely make the visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to take in this oustanding exhibit (October 23, 2005 to February 5, 2006).
For more information click on the links below:
Jacob Van Ruisdael
Biography from Getty Museum
Biography from Web Gallery of Art
Rijksmuseum Biographical Information on Jacob van Ruisdael
Rijksmuseum Biographical Information on Salomon van Ruysdael
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