Artwork
View in the woods
View in the woods is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan van der Heyden. It dates from 1675 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject matter represents a direct observation of nature, emphasizing the texture and presence of the forest and its trees.
Jan van der Heyden's View in the woods, created in 1675, presents a landscape genre scene focused on the natural environment. The work depicts a forest setting, specifically featuring trees as the primary visual elements. Executed in verre églomisé, the painting captures a wooded area without referencing specific narrative events, mythological figures, or complex allegorical programs in the provided records.
The subject matter represents a direct observation of nature, emphasizing the texture and presence of the forest and its trees.
Technique & Style
Created in 1675, View in the woods is a landscape painting executed by Jan van der Heyden using the technique of verre églomisé. This method involves applying paint and gold leaf to the reverse side of a glass support. The work depicts a forest scene featuring trees, rendered with the distinctive luminosity characteristic of glass painting. The panel measures 34 cm in height and 42.5 cm in width.
History & Provenance
Jan van der Heyden created the landscape painting View in the woods in 1675. The artist executed the work using verre églomisé, a technique involving painting on the reverse side of glass. The piece measures 34 cm in height and 42.5 cm in width.
While the specific circumstances of its commission and its early ownership history are not detailed in the available records, the work is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
View in the woods is a landscape painted in verre églomisé by Jan van der Heyden in 1675. The work is housed in the Rijksmuseum under inventory number SK-A-1565. It has been part of the museum’s permanent collection and was included in the exhibition "Dutch Masters: 17th Century Paintings from the Rijksmuseum" in 2019.
Context
View in the woods (1675) is a landscape painting created by Jan van der Heyden using verre églomisé technique, depicting a forest scene with prominent trees. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection in Amsterdam, where it is classified as a landscape painting from the Dutch Golden Age. Scholarship situates it within van der Heyden's broader exploration of atmospheric effects and naturalistic detail, reflecting his influence on later landscape painters despite his primary reputation for architectural and engineering works.
Overview
Created in 1675, View in the Woods is a landscape executed in the glass‑painting technique known as verre églomisé. The work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. Its composition presents a tightly packed forest interior, where shafts of light break through a canopy of dark foliage to reveal a rocky outcrop.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van der Heyden (5 March 1637, Gorinchem – 28 March 1712, Amsterdam) was a Dutch Baroque-era painter, glass painter, draughtsman and printmaker.
