Wooded Landscape with a Water-mill

The Dutch artist Meindert Hobbema (1638-1709) skilfully captures the essence of the Dutch countryside. The artist has used a large oak tree to frame a watermill in this idyllic rural scene. Daubs of green and brown paint create the impression of dense, coarse foliage, while the glassy millpond provides a peaceful oasis at the centre of the composition. Although there were many watermills of this type in the northern Netherlands, it is not known whether this painting was based on a specific location. The watermill is a recurring motif in Hobbema’s work, appearing in over thirty of his pictures. The clothing worn by the couple in the clearing in the left foreground has been used to date this work to the 1660s.   

Hobbema, the son of a carpenter, was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and at fifteen years old he was sent to an orphanage with his siblings. His artistic journey began two years later as an apprentice to the Dutch landscape painter Jacob van Ruisdael (1629-82). Hobbema lived a modest life, eventually working as a wine gauger to support himself and his family. He was buried in a pauper’s grave at his death.