Salomon van Ruysdael

(Naarden circa 1600-1670 Haarlem)
A raid on a horse and wagon in the dunes at sunset,
signed and dated lower left: S. VR(ligated)uyesdael/1643,
oil on panel, 37.5 x 53.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
N. J. W. Smallenburg van Stellendam, Amsterdam;
sale, Frederik Muller, Amsterdam, 6 May 1913, lot 92;
with A. W. M. Mensing, Amsterdam;
Dr. F. E. Vester, Dordrecht;
thence by descent to the present owner

Exhibited:
Leiden, Stedelijk Museum de Lakenhal, Tentoonstelling Kunstbezit van Oud-Alumni der Leidse Universiteit, June 1950, no. 46

Literature:
W. Stechow, Salomon van Ruysdael, Eine Einführung in seine Kunst mit kritischem Katalog der Gemälde, Berlin 1975, p. 86, no. 122

The present painting is an exquisite example of Salomon van Ruysdael’s so called ‘dry’ paintings, as the composition lacks the traditional waterway that the artist included in many of his compositions. Furthermore, the picture is from the 1640s, known as Van Ruysdael’s decade of tonal landscapes when atmosphere was created with minimal tonal means. Here the emphasis is on the sky appearing above the soft colours of the dunes.

The subject is rare in the oeuvre of the artist. Stechow, grouping these raids under the heading cavalry skirmishes, raids and ambushes, lists about ten paintings displaying the subject, with dated works from 1633 until 1664. By returning to this subject time and again throughout his career, Van Ruysdael demonstrates his lifelong indebtedness to Esaias van de Velde, who introduced the theme in Dutch painting of the seventeenth century. Indeed, raids must have frequently occurred in the country at the time, as mercenary soldiers were seeking income especially when there were breaks in the fighting.
A painting with a similar raid on a road in the dunes showing the same three bandits on their knees was offered at Sotheby’s, New York, 5 November 1986, lot 68 (see Stechow, no. 131).