River Landscape with a Castle

Van Goyen adopted a more sober colour palette from around 1627, mainly working in brown, yellow, ochre and green. In this painting, he followed his favourite scheme: an overcast sky, (ruined) buildings in the foreground, a river with fishermen and vessels, and a low horizon punctuated by the skyline of a village. A stake is secured to the left of…

Van Goyen adopted a more sober colour palette from around 1627, mainly working in brown, yellow, ochre and green. In this painting, he followed his favourite scheme: an overcast sky, (ruined) buildings in the foreground, a river with fishermen and vessels, and a low horizon punctuated by the skyline of a village. A stake is secured to the left of the square tower, which was used for attracting birds. Birds appeared regularly on the menu in Holland, even sparrows. People were convinced that they boosted the ‘geyligheyt’, or virility.