A Landscape with a River at Evening
- Artist: Aert van der Neer
- Date: about 1650
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Landscape with a River at Evening" painted in the Dutch north by Aert van der Neer. The title suggests it's set in the evening, but the cold blues and yellows of the sky could also suggest dawn. What really matters here is how the artist has explored the way low light affects our view of the landscape.
The brightest point is on the horizon, right in the centre of the painting, and it backlights the whole scene. This creates a long streak of silvery water across the middle ground and picks out delicate white highlights on the couple and cattle in the foreground. All this enhances a sense of depth and distance, which is emphasised by the dark clouds sweeping across the brightening or darkening sky.
The low light has had a big impact on how we see the landscape here. The battleship anchored in the mouth of the estuary is silhouetted against the brighter horizon, while the wood is cast into deep shadow. It's really effective at creating a sense of atmosphere and mood.
See it in person
A Landscape with a River at Evening hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
