An estuary scene

Dramatic natural events evidently appealed to Jan van Goyen’s propensity to experiment and invent. In the present work, formerly in the collection of the North Carolina Museum of Art and painted at the pinnacle of the artist’s career, van Goyen masterfully captures the sheer power of nature, evinced most notably by the grouping of clouds charging in from the upper left corner. As in many of his mature works, the artist incorporates a low horizon line, allowing the dynamic sky to dominate the picture plane. The overall color palette is also characteristic of this later period—the deep silvery-grays and blues of the cloud-filled sky are mirrored in the still waters below, further emphasizing the artist’s keen ability to capture fleeting atmospheric effects.