Artwork
Italian Landscape with Ferry
Italian Landscape with Ferry is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Both. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Italian Landscape with Ferry, painted by Jan Both in 1640, presents a bustling river scene on the Tiber in which a small ferry carries a passenger while a mule and a lone figure stand on the bank. The composition combines the luminous atmospheric treatment characteristic of Both’s Italianate landscapes with a topographically recognizable river setting, reflecting the 17th‑century Dutch fascination with idealized Mediterranean scenery. By integrating everyday activity, transport across water and the presence of a mule, Both suggests a narrative of travel and commerce, while the careful rendering of light and foliage underscores the genre’s emphasis on naturalistic yet poetic observation.
Technique & Style
Its surface consists of oil paint applied to a canvas support, a technique typical of Dutch Italianate landscape practice of the mid‑17th century.
Italian Landscape with Ferry is an oil painting executed on canvas in 1640. The work measures 76 cm in height by 91 cm in width and is classified as a landscape genre piece. Its surface consists of oil paint applied to a canvas support, a technique typical of Dutch Italianate landscape practice of the mid‑17th century.
The composition depicts a ferry navigating the Tiber accompanied by a mule and a solitary figure, emphasizing a balanced arrangement of figures within a broad, open space. The painting belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum and has been owned by several Dutch collectors before its acquisition.
History & Provenance
Italian Landscape with Ferry is an oil-on-canvas painting by Jan Both dated 1640. The documented ownership chain begins with the Dutch collector Gerard Hoet II, after whom the work passed through the hands of Gerrit Braamcamp and Pieter Locquet, all prominent eighteenth-century Dutch patrons. The painting subsequently entered the French collection of Claude Tolozan before being acquired by Gerrit van der Pot.
It is now held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is managed under Instituut Collectie Nederland.
No source documents a specific commission for the work, and the creation history beyond the 1640 date is not elaborated in the available records.
Overview
Jan Both's Italian Landscape with Ferry, an oil painting from 1640, captures a tranquil scene within the Italian countryside. The work features a ferry traversing a river, likely the Tiber, with a mule visible near the crossing. This piece exemplifies the artist's focus on rendering atmospheric natural settings and is currently part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Dirksz Both was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and etcher, who made an important contribution to the development of Dutch Italianate landscape painting.
