A Cottage on a Heath
Artist: Jan Van Goyen (Dutch, 1596 - 1656)
Original Dimensions: 15 5/8" x 23 7/8"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (About 1629) "In some paintings a vast, empty landscape might evoke feelings of loneliness or even melancholy, but this small picture, probably painted by Jan van Goyen, seems to do just the opposite. It’s light and airy, with a patch of sun on glowing soil, and tiny, almost comical, trees, their branches misty with delicate new leaves. Puffy clouds float across the sky on a breath. It seems to be an image of spring that brings the fresh air in to its viewers. The painting was once thought to be by someone imitating van Goyen’s style but in 1958, when it was cleaned, a figure in the foreground and other details added by a different artist were all removed. Cleaning also revealed van Goyen’s monogram, making it probable that it is his work painted early in his career. He was already experimenting with the muted, limited colours for which he became famous." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

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