Jan Wijnants (?Haarlem c. 1635-1684 Amsterdam)

In this crisp view of canal-enclosed fields in the eastern Netherlands, peasants amble quietly down a road winding into the distance. At left, a small waterway with two ducks gurgles gently along, and at right a picturesque medieval church crowns the small hillock. Sheep and horses graze peacefully in the background; tall wooden gates on the left bank of the canal prevent them from escaping across the rustic wooden bridges that span the waterway. In the center, Wijnants has boldly placed two large oak trees, around which the varied shapes and textures of the terrain are depicted with careful detail.

The balance of warm and cool tones seen in this richly imagined landscape are typical of the early work of Jan Wijnants, who began his career in Haarlem and from 1660 lived in Amsterdam, where he was described in 1672 as a "painter and inn keeper". Working in the tradition of Jacob van Ruisdael (1628/9-1682), Wijnants painted almost exclusively landscapes, many of which depict the dunes around Haarlem. Comparable to works by the artist dated 1659, such as his landscape in the Kunsthalle, Hamburg, the present panel probably dates to around the time of Wijnants' relocation to Amsterdam.