The Medieval Walls of Nijmegen

Description Van Goyen traveled extensively to find scenic vistas for his landscapes. This one shows the remnants of the medieval castle and a section of the walls of the city Nijmegen, on the Waal River in the eastern Netherlands. Against this imposing historic backdrop, the artist introduced a detail from rural life: a ferryboat carrying travelers and farmers with their cows to market. The beauty of van Goyen's landscapes lies in his handling of simple visual effects, here the reflections of the sky and foliage in the water, versus the unreflective surfaces of the buildings and earth. The overcast sky is typically Dutch; the resulting cool light brings out his orchestration of tonal distinctions.

Conservation

Date	Description	Narrative
4/07/1943	Treatment	chemical analysis; coated; surface cleaned; varnish removed or reduced
10/29/1980	Examination	examined for condition
1/19/1983	Treatment	coated; inpainted; lined; reconstructed; surface cleaned; varnish removed or reduced

Exhibitions

• World of Wonder. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1971-1972.
• New Light on Old Pictures: Dutch and Flemish Paintings from the Walters. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1981-1982.

Provenance Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome, no. 659; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.

Inscriptions [Signature] VG 1643

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902