Artwork
View of the Maas near Dordrecht
View of the Maas near Dordrecht is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Aelbert Cuyp. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a broad river scene on the Maas with cattle grazing along the banks and a small sailboat moving toward the viewer’s left.
The painting depicts a broad river scene on the Maas with cattle grazing along the banks and a small sailboat moving toward the viewer’s left. The river’s reflective surface and the low, golden light capture a late-afternoon calm, evoking the Dutch landscape tradition of celebrating local topography and tranquil daily life.
The cattle and boats likely symbolize prosperity and commerce tied to the Maas, reflecting the region’s economic reliance on river trade during the Dutch Golden Age. The distant church spire anchors the composition in a recognizable Dutch setting, underscoring the harmony between cultivated land, waterways, and human activity.
Technique & Style
View of the Maas near Dordrecht is an oil painting executed on a panel support, created by Aelbert Cuyp in 1644. The work measures 49.53 cm in height and 76.2 cm in width. As a landscape, the composition depicts the Meuse river populated with cattle, sailboats, and trees.
The handling of the medium captures the atmospheric qualities typical of the genre, utilizing oil paint to render the specific elements of the river scene.
History & Provenance
Aelbert Cuyp created the oil painting View of the Maas near Dordrecht in 1644. Executed on a panel support, the work depicts a landscape scene featuring the Meuse river, cattle, sailboats, and trees. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles.
The painting View of the Maas near Dordrecht is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles. Created in 1644 by Aelbert Cuyp, the work is executed in oil paint on panel. While the piece is part of the museum's permanent holdings, the available records do not list specific inventory numbers or detail a history of exhibitions for this particular artwork.
Overview
Aelbert Cuyp’s 1644 oil painting captures a tranquil stretch of the Meuse River near Dordrecht. The composition presents a calm waterway framed by trees, with a modest town visible in the distance. In the foreground, three cattle pause by the bank while a lone rower navigates a small boat, and several sail‑filled vessels drift lazily on the surface.
Context
Cuyp worked in a Dutch Golden Age environment that prized realistic landscape depictions and the effects of natural light. His father, Jacob Gerritszoon Cuyp, trained him in drawing, but Aelbert developed a distinctive approach to atmospheric rendering that influenced later Dutch landscape painters, especially in the portrayal of serene riverine scenes.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Aelbert Jacobszoon Cuyp or Cuijp (Dutch pronunciation: ; 20 October 1620 – 15 November 1691) was one of the leading Dutch Golden Age painters, producing mainly landscapes.
Lady and Gentleman on Horseback
The Maas at Dordrecht
Children and a Cow
Equestrian Portrait of Cornelis (1639–1680) and Michiel Pompe van Meerdervoort (1638–1653) with Their Tutor and Coachman ("Starting for the Hunt")
Landscape with the Flight into Egypt
Piping Shepherds
Travellers in Hilly Countryside
A Chief Merchant of the VOC with his Wife and an Enslaved Servant
