Winter on the river by Jan van Goyen

Researchers note a characteristic feature of the artist’s style, which attracts attention and the ordinary spectator – the horizon in the paintings of the painter is placed quite low, hence the sky occupies about two-thirds of the canvas area.

This is probably due to the fact that the state of the sky – whether it is clear or of varying degrees of cloudiness – has an extraordinary effect on the apparent coloration of the great water space, which, as a rule, was portrayed by the painter and gained fame. Although the presented work is not written the sea, and the winter ice-bound river, the sky still plays a very important role.

In Goyen’s works, it is never cloudless-blue or blue, but always clouded. The artist’s canvases are made in a monophonic and picturesque manner. Usually, cloudy, foggy days are depicted.