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Lodewijck van Ludick, 'A River between Rocky Cliffs', about 1670

About the work

Overview

In the seventeenth century, several Dutch artists went to Rome and brought back paintings and sketches. They, and others like van Ludick, used these works as a basis for imaginary paintings of the Italian landscape with a mountainous background and a softly lit Mediterranean sky. They proved very popular with Dutch collectors and were a strong contrast to landscapes of the flat Dutch countryside.

Here, van Ludick shows a high, craggy cliff with a castle on one side, the round tower of which seems to reach the clouds. On the other side the cliffs are only slightly lower, and the two seem to threaten the tiny travellers wading through the water in the chasm between them. Two elegant riders pace back and forth, perhaps waiting for them, perhaps waiting their turn to cross. Only the warm gold of the sky eases the sense of danger that van Ludick evokes.

Key facts

Details

Full title
A River between Rocky Cliffs, with a Waterfall on the left
Artist dates
1629 - before 1697
Date made
about 1670
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
53.5 × 66.4 cm
Acquisition credit
Wynn Ellis Bequest, 1876
Inventory number
NG1007
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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