River Landscape with a Ferry

Salomon van Ruysdael

1656

Oil on canvas

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A river landscape depicts a ferry transporting people and livestock across the water, with trees and buildings lining the shore under a cloudy sky. Nothing could be more Dutch than boats on a wide river under a cloudy sky: a ferry approaching shore, a rowboat out for a joy ride, a sailboat heading to the horizon. Water was crucial to Holland’s flourishing economy, with rivers and canals serving as its main commercial arteries. To the Dutch, such images of serene rivers and boats were emotionally resonant, underscoring the peacefulness and affluence of their newly independent country. Gallery G311 The William Hood Dunwoody Fund