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'Hero Painting'

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'A Landscape with a Ruined Castle and a Church' Jacob van Ruisdael about 1665-70

		A stunning, stunning little painting by Ruisdael... exquisite... with this extraordinary, beautiful pewtery light. It just seems to me the very pinnacle of what landscape painting can be. Similar to the Koninck in the sense that you have a factuality and an actuality, but at the same time a poetic dimension. We know that across this bit of water is East Anglia, we know that we have Constable, and on this side of this grey pewter North Sea we have Ruisdael and Koninck.

Jacob van Ruisdael, 'A Landscape with a Ruined Castle and a Church' - black and white version.