Imaginary River Landscape
1670
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
overall: 17 × 23.2 cm (6 11/16 × 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CNE-B
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The Lee and Juliet Folger Fund
Accession Number
2016.147.1
Art Historical Context
Herman Saftleven'sImaginary River Landscape*1670) invites viewers into a serene, invented vista of winding waterways, lush banks, and distant horizons, crafted in oil on panel. Measuring just 17 × 23.2 cm, this cabinet painting was designed for close contemplation in a private collection, a popular format during the Dutch Golden Age. Saftleven, a Utrecht-born artist active in the mid-17th century, masterfully blended observation with imagination, evoking the tranquil beauty of the Dutch countryside. As part of the Northern European tradition of landscape painting, the work reflects the era's ...