Who painted An Amsterdam Canal House Garden?

An Amsterdam Canal House Garden was painted by Cornelis Troost in 1740.

Where can I see An Amsterdam Canal House Garden?

An Amsterdam Canal House Garden is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is An Amsterdam Canal House Garden?

An Amsterdam Canal House Garden is associated with Rococo painting.

Can I buy a print of An Amsterdam Canal House Garden?

Museum-quality prints of An Amsterdam Canal House Garden are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

An Amsterdam Canal House Garden

Cornelis Troost , 1740

An Amsterdam Canal House Garden is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Cornelis Troost. It dates from 1740 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

History & Provenance

The painting An Amsterdam Canal House Garden was created by Cornelis Troost in 1740. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 66 cm in height and 56 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the piece was once owned by Cornelis Hoogendijk. The artwork is currently part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum.

Context

Cornelis Troost painted An Amsterdam Canal House Garden in 1740, exemplifying the Rococo movement's playful intimacy within Dutch genre painting.

Cornelis Troost painted An Amsterdam Canal House Garden in 1740, exemplifying the Rococo movement's playful intimacy within Dutch genre painting. This small-scale work (66 cm x 56 cm), created on canvas using oil paints, depicts a domestic garden scene characteristic of mid-18th century Amsterdam elite leisure spaces. The painting's provenance traces to collector Cornelis Hoogendijk before its acquisition by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains part of their permanent collection.

Troost's specialization in such genre scenes positioned him within a broader Dutch artistic tradition that emphasized everyday domestic life, though his Rococo style contrasted with the more dominant Baroque influences of earlier Dutch masters.

Overview

Cornelis Troost’s oil painting, dated 1740, depicts a tranquil garden attached to an Amsterdam canal house. The composition is divided by an open window, revealing an interior where a woman arranges flowers at a table, while beyond the threshold a man and a young girl linger near a modest fountain crowned with a statue. The garden is orderly, with trimmed hedges, a stone pathway, and a distant building framing the scene.

Subject & Meaning

The work juxtaposes domestic interiority with an outdoor leisure space, suggesting a harmonious balance between private refinement and public display. The woman’s activity of arranging blossoms conveys cultivated taste, while the male figures’ presence by the fountain hints at social interaction and the pleasure of garden strolling, a pastime associated with the genteel classes of 18th‑century Amsterdam.

Technique & Style

Troost employs a subtle chiaroscuro, letting the darker interior recede against the luminous garden beyond the window. Soft, diffused lighting models the figures and foliage, creating a gentle depth that guides the eye from the interior table to the fountain’s central statue. The brushwork is smooth and refined, aligning the painting with the Rococo’s preference for elegance and lightness.