Artwork
The Great Oak
The Great Oak is an oil painting by Jacob van Ruisdael. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of staff-bearing figures suggests themes of labor and sustenance, grounding the scene in everyday life against the backdrop of nature’s grandeur.
The painting depicts a monumental oak tree rising from a dune, its gnarled trunk and dense foliage dominating a windswept landscape. Below, a woman with a distaff and a man with a walking stick appear in quiet conversation, accompanied by a dog, horse, and flock of sheep that animate the scene with pastoral routine. The towering oak, a recurrent motif in Dutch Golden Age landscape painting, symbolizes endurance and the passage of time, while the surrounding dunes and distant sky evoke the precarious balance between human settlement and the forces of nature.
The inclusion of staff-bearing figures suggests themes of labor and sustenance, grounding the scene in everyday life against the backdrop of nature’s grandeur.
Technique & Style
Created in 1652, The Great Oak is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work is formally classified as a landscape, a genre in which Jacob van Ruisdael specialized, though the figures within the composition were added by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. Visually, the piece depicts a prominent oak tree situated among dunes, accompanied by human figures, a dog, sheep, and a horse.
The painting measures 86.4 cm in height and 106.7 cm in width. It was produced in Haarlem and is currently held in the Edward W. Carter and Hannah Locke Carter Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Created in 1652 in Haarlem, The Great Oak is an oil-on-canvas landscape painting by Jacob van Ruisdael, featuring figures executed by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. The work depicts an oak tree within a dune setting populated by men, women, animals, and sheep. Its ownership history traces back to Arthur Sanderson and Princess Maria Carolina, Duchess of Berry, before passing to Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry.
In the 20th century, the painting was held by Eliza Fleischmann and subsequently acquired by Edward W. Carter and Hannah Locke Carter. It is currently part of the Edward W. Carter and Hannah Locke Carter Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
The Great Oak is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, having entered the institution as part of the Edward W. Carter and Hannah Locke Carter Collection. The work, an oil on canvas measuring 86.4 by 106.7 cm, was created in 1652 by Jacob van Ruisdael with figures contributed by Nicolaes Berchem.
Prior to its acquisition by the museum, the painting passed through several private hands. Its provenance includes ownership by Arthur Sanderson, Princess Maria Carolina, Duchess of Berry, and her husband Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry. Later owners included Eliza Fleischmann before the work was acquired by Edward and Hannah Carter.
Overview
The Great Oak is a 17th-century oil painting by Dutch artist Jacob van Ruisdael, created in 1652. The work is characterized by its central depiction of a large, gnarled oak tree set amidst a landscape of rolling hills, smaller trees, and a dynamic sky.
Context
Created during the Dutch Golden Age, The Great Oak reflects the period's emphasis on landscape painting and the meticulous depiction of natural light, positioning Van Ruisdael among his contemporaries who valued the Dutch countryside's beauty.
Legacy
While specific influences or direct artistic heirs of The Great Oak are not highlighted, the painting contributes to the broader legacy of Dutch landscape traditions, continuing to be appreciated for its technical mastery and serene portrayal of nature.
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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…
