How Ruisdael Painted The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede (c. 1668–70) | Stroke by Stroke

Watch Jacob van Ruisdael, The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede, c. 1668–70 come together stroke by stroke, from blank canvas to final touch, set to music by Elgar. The horizon sits low and the sky, heavy with gray clouds, takes up about two thirds of the canvas, a hallmark of Ruisdael. Seen from below, the cylindrical stone mill on the bank of the river Lek looks monumental against the coming storm. Behind it rise the castle and the church tower of Wijk bij Duurstede. Wooden piles line the bank to hold back the water, and three women walk on the right. This is an interpretive animation: a plausible reconstruction of how the canvas may have been painted, not a historical record of the artist's process. Chapters 0:00 The preparation of the canvas 0:15 Lines of the mill and horizon 0:41 The large masses of clouds 1:39 The mill's tower and blades 2:45 The river Lek and the town beyond 3:50 Stakes and figures on the path 4:42 The finished work Painting: Jacob van Ruisdael, The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede (c. 1668–70). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, SK-C-211. Public domain image. Music: Elgar, Serenade for Strings, 1st movement (final excerpt), United States Army Strings, public domain. Subtitles available (CC button). Art&Art — Great paintings. Classical music. #JacobVanRuisdael #TheWindmillAtWijkBijDuurstede #DutchGoldenAge #Elgar #FineArtMasterclass