Romantic Nature in the Met

Jacob van Ruisdael (Dutch, 1628/29–1682). The Forest Stream, ca. 1660. Oil on canvas; 39 1/4 x 50 7/8 in. (99.7 x 129.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Marquand Collection, Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1889 (89.15.4)

«Observe this painting and walk through the details of this romantic nature scene. You can almost hear the water flowing through the center of the painting; you feel like you are there in the wooded hills between Holland and Germany. The trees are fully leaved in green and reddish-brown tones, along with some zigzagging bare branches.»

Let your eyes gravitate from top to bottom, taking note of the bright sky and the dark world below. What time of day do you think it is, and what time of the year? Which details give you that impression?

Related Event
Travel through Europe without leaving New York! Attend our European Excursion event for teens ages 15 to 18 on Saturday, April 26, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. To register, please use the online registration form.