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Jan Wijnants, 'A Track by a Dune, with Peasants and a Horseman', 1665

About the work

Overview

This undulating countryside of ancient sand dunes, found around Haarlem, forms the background to the vast majority of paintings by local artist Jan Wijnants. But while he captured the spirit and atmosphere of these sand hills, he also – like most painters of the time – exaggerated for effect. The range of what look like mountains in the distance in this picture, for example, must have been based on a line of much smaller dunes.

In the foreground we see the broken stump of a small tree. Wijnants often used this motif in his paintings to give a greater sense of depth to the landscape, but generally on a much larger scale. Here the dune itself dominates the picture, and the cart track meandering around it creates the illusion of depth and draws our eye into what is a relatively small picture.

Key facts

Details

Full title
A Track by a Dune, with Peasants and a Horseman
Artist
Jan Wijnants
Artist dates
active 1643; died 1684
Date made
1665
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
29.7 × 36.8 cm
Inscription summary
Signed; Dated
Acquisition credit
Salting Bequest, 1910
Inventory number
NG2533
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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