Allart van Everdingen - Master of the Rugged Landscape

In 1644 the young Alkmaar artist Allart van Everdingen (1621-1675) travelled through Norway. It was an inspiring experience that set the course for his career. He went on to make countless paintings, drawings and etchings of rugged landscapes with waterfalls, log cabins and pine trees. These seemingly realistic snapshots of Norwegian scenery prove on closer examination to be artistic constructs, conceived and executed in the workshop. Van Everdingen had created a new genre in Dutch art that sold very well and was picked up by other artists, Jacob van Ruisdael among them. In the nineteenth century, his impressive mountain views became an important inspiration for the Romantics. He also painted dramatic seascapes and river views, Dutch landscapes full of narrative details, scenes of the springs at Spa and illustrations for the Tale of Reynard the Fox.