Peasants and cattle on a ferry with fishermen in rowing boats nearby, on a cloudy day

Salomon van Ruysdael (see the previous lot), like Jan van Goyen, used the motif of diagonally receding river banks from 1627 onwards. It remained his favourite morif during the 1630's, when a monochromatic colour scheme was used. The composition in the present picture recalls that of the landscape of circa 1631 in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin (C. Vogelaar et. al., Jan van Goyen, 1996, p.98, n014, ill.). Compare also the picture, signed and dated 1634, in the Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles (H.U. Beck, op. cit., p.219, n0454, ill.). As pointed out by Vogelaar, op. cit., p.98, during the 1630's Salomon van Ruysdael's and Jan van Goyen's work are strikingly similar. Compare for instance the present with the previous lot. However, Van Goyen shows a more consistent use of the tonal palette.