Artwork
A hill with an oak wood and a little waterfall
A hill with an oak wood and a little waterfall is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob van Ruisdael. It dates from 1654 and is held in the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of a goat and a human figure lends scale and a pastoral note, suggesting human presence within, rather than dominance over, the natural setting.
Jacob van Ruisdael's 1654 panel presents a wooded hillside crowned by oaks, with a modest waterfall descending through the scene. The depicted elements, forest, hill, oak, goat, waterfall, and a man, situate the work within the Dutch landscape tradition that Ruisdael helped define, where native woodland and water features were used to evoke the character of the countryside around Haarlem, where the painting was made.
The oak, a tree long associated with strength and endurance in northern European imagery, anchors the composition, while the small waterfall introduces movement and a sense of living terrain. The inclusion of a goat and a human figure lends scale and a pastoral note, suggesting human presence within, rather than dominance over, the natural setting. Together these motifs frame the landscape as a contemplative study of native Dutch scenery rather than an allegorical or mythological scene.
Technique & Style
Created in 1654, this landscape painting by Jacob van Ruisdael is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support. The work measures 38 cm in height and 52 cm in width. Stylistically, it is classified as a landscape genre piece that depicts a detailed natural scene featuring a hill, an oak wood, and a little waterfall.
The composition also includes specific figures such as a man and a goat situated within the forest setting. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden.
History & Provenance
The work titled A hill with an oak wood and a little waterfall was created by Jacob van Ruisdael in 1654 as an oil painting on panel, produced in Haarlem. It entered the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden and is housed in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, where it remains on display.
The painting was commissioned by an unidentified patron in the mid‑17th century and has been part of the museum's holdings since its acquisition, reflecting its enduring significance within the Dutch landscape tradition.
The painting has been part of the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, where it is held at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources.
No exhibition history is documented in the sources provided.
Overview
Jacob van Ruisdael’s oil landscape, dated 1654, portrays a gentle hill crowned with a stand of oak trees. A modest cascade descends the slope, while a figure in the foreground attends to a goat. The composition balances natural elements with a solitary human presence, inviting the viewer to contemplate a tranquil, rural scene.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and etcher. He is generally considered the pre-eminent landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age, a period of great wealth and cultural achievement when…
