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Jan Wijnants, 'A Landscape with a High Dune and Peasants on a Road', probably about 1665

About the work

Overview

This painting is probably a collaboration between Jan Wijnants, who was a specialist landscape painter, and Jan Lingelbach, who added the figures and the animals once the landscape was finished. It was not unusual for painters to work in this way in seventeenth-century Holland.

What we see is probably not a specific location, but it is characteristic of the undulating fields and dunes between Wijnants' home town of Haarlem and the sea. He has probably adapted the view to help give an impression of distance, perhaps placing the stand of trees and the church, as well as the patches of sunlight and the billowing clouds, to enhance the sense of depth.

Lingelbach’s figures are also positioned for effect, and he uses patches of red and brown on their clothing to help them stand out. They lead our eye further into the landscape, while the silhouettes of two men and a dog on the top of the dune add a moment of drama against the turbulent sky.

Key facts

Details

Full title
A Landscape with a High Dune and Peasants on a Road
Artist
Jan Wijnants
Artist dates
active 1643; died 1684
Date made
probably about 1665
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
40.9 × 53.7 cm
Inscription summary
Signed
Acquisition credit
Wynn Ellis Bequest, 1876
Inventory number
NG971
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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