Ferry near Gorinchem
Artist: Salomon van Ruysdael (Dutch, 1600–1670)
Original Dimensions: 41 7/8" x 52 1/2"
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
About Artwork: (1646) "Ruysdael has a reputation for inventing topography, but this canvas depicts a largely faithful view of Gorinchem (Gorcum) from the south. The artist's viewpoint was on a spit of land called Buiten de Waterpoort, along the river de Merwede. The 197-foot tower of the Great Church is seen through the trees, while a windmill, ramparts, and identifiable buildings recede in the right background. Travellers at an inn and in a fishing-cum-ferry boat enliven the scene. Ruysdael lived well to the north in Haarlem, but he was part-owner of a mill in Gorinchem and in 1643 and 1644 painted landscapes incorporating parts of the local castle of Loevestein." - (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Panel content
Panel content