The Shore at Egmond-aan-Zee

Artist: Jacob van Ruisdael (Dutch, c. 1628/1629 - 1682)

Original Dimensions: 21 1/8" x 26 1/8"

Location: National Gallery of Art, London

About Artwork: (About 1675) "The tide is ebbing at Egmond-aan-Zee, leaving a pattern of swirls in the still-wet sand. You can sense the outward sweep and undertow of the tide before the little waves tumble back towards the shore. The people lingering on the beach aren't fishermen, like the silhouetted figures near the boats. They are middle-class people out for a stroll. The women’s hair is protected by hoods, their lacy overskirts tied back with ribbons; the men wear enormous brimmed hats, breeches and stockings. One young man whisks a woman up in his arms – he pretends to throw her into the waves and she kicks her feet in protest. His hat falls off and his hair flies as their dog leaps behind them. These figures may be by Gerrit van Battem, who worked with Jacob van Ruisdael in the 1670s, sometimes adding figures to some of his landscapes. It was a common practice at the time for artists to collaborate in this way." - (National Gallery of Art, London)