The Valkhof at Nijmegen (Primary Title)
Salomon van Ruysdael, Dutch, ca. 1602 - 1670 (Artist)
This majestic river-scape was painted after the signing
of the Treaty of Munster (1648), which granted the
Netherlands independence from Spanish rule and full
recognition as a country. By this time, the historic city
of Nijmegen had been long revered as the traditional
home of the Batavians, the ancient forefathers of the
Dutch. The city’s medieval citadel, called the Valkhof
(Falcon Court), had served as the monarchical seat of
justice before the near century of Spanish control. For
citizens of the new Dutch Republic, the citadel became
a symbol of national pride. Ruysdael represented
its principal tower as taller than it actually was to
emphasize the monument’s grandeur and reflect the
contemporary spirit of triumph. Ruysdael’s composition
is nearly identical to views of Nijmegen painted by Jan
van Goyen (1596–1656) a little over a decade earlier, and
the artist was likely attempting to benefit commercially
from the newfound patriotism of Dutch collectors.
Ruysdael became one of the foremost Dutch landscape
painters in the first half of the 17th century
The Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III Collection
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
