Landscape With Oak Tree

Jan Josephsz van Goyen (1596-1656)

Rendered with rapid, curling strokes, this oak seems to vibrate with energy, an impression underscored by the powerful diagonal thrust of its gnarled trunk. The sheet has been cropped at the upper edge, apparently by the artist himself, bringing the oak closer to the viewer and enhancing its immediacy. Van Goyen laid in the gently rolling landscape in the background in subtle ink washes that throw the solitary tree into higher relief.

Jan Josephsz van Goyen (1596-1656), Landscape with oak tree ©The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London.