Windmill at Wijk-bij-Duurstdael by Ruisdael
A baroque opulence
In the history of art movements, Baroque was the period of excess in details. Spanning the years 1600 to 1750, baroque art was highly ornate and grand in nature[1].Baroque art forms used to be rich in details as well as in perspective. Baroque paintings reflected a sense of opulence with great attention paid to the minor details. A great deal of attention was paid to the details, and nothing was an excess.
Ruisdael painted “Windmill at Wijk-bij-Duurstdael” in 1665. It is a powerful painting that draws the onlooker to itself by the depiction of a clouded sky and is foretelling of a storm. One can almost feel for the sailors, who are out in their vessels, while at the same time be tempted to think about seeking shelter from the oncoming storm.
Measuring 83 centimeters in height and 101 centimeters in width[2], it is not so small that would require a person to move closer, nor it is large enough to be observed from a distance. Rather, when displayed at eye level, it draws attention to itself and captures the attention of the observer to various details in the landscape. The drama created by the clouds is equally offset by the large proportion of the windmill. However, there are certain small elements in the painting, like the figures of workmen, the ripples in the water, or the birds that require full attention from the onlooker.
Ruisdael has used a more somber color palette that gives no indication of the time of the day. Instead, the color scheme focuses on the weather. He has made use of dull colors to show an overcast sky with a few bright specks to depict sunlight. The muted colors create a drama and inspire imagination. The overall dull mood is, however, punctuated by a few bright specks. One can see the bright green on the faraway land or bright rust on the roof of a building in an otherwise dull palette. These bright spots, not only create a departure from the somber palette but also shine out like jewels that command one’s full attention.
The focus of the painting is not just the windmill which is the largest object in the painting but also the three Dutchwomen who are much smaller in size. The sheer size of the windmill showcases its stature and importance in comparison with the people who are closer than it and the buildings that are in the background. Though the windmill is the largest object in the painting, it still directs attention on the vessels while at the same time balancing the dark clouds.
The movement is depicted in the painting in a variety of ways. Firstly, the movement of clouds covers most of the canvas. Secondly, the waves in the foreground speak of the winds as well as the flow of the river. Thirdly, the open sails of the vessels show motion. Fourthly, the birds flying up high in the sky look like as if they are playing with the clouds. Fifthly, the weeds in the foreground clearly show the motion caused by the wind. Sixthly, one can see the men working by the riverbank and the arrested movement of the three women. And lastly, the windmill is the evidence of the motion set up by the wind.
The painting is very much balanced with the massive size of the land and the windmill on the right is balanced with the size and drama created by the clouds and the sailboats on the left. The massive structures on the right-hand side do not overwhelm the canvas but rather provide a contrast as well as balance to the landscape.
Light has an important role in this painting. The light source in the painting is the sun that is hidden behind the moving clouds. It is easy to see the patches of light where the sunlight seems to escape and reach the water surface and the top of the buildings and darkness where it covered by the moving clouds. Overall, this painting clearly shows light as a tangible element of the landscape which is highlighting and obscuring all the other elements of the landscape.
Overall, the painting draws one to itself and feel the mood. It draws attention to the oncoming storm and plays out the drama between the dark clouds and the sun that is just shying away from the onlookers.
References
[1] Strickland, C. (2018). In The annotated Mona Lisa: a crash course in art history from prehistoric to post-modern (pp. 46–46). Andrews McMeel.
[2] The windmill at wijk bij duurstede — jacob isaacksz. van ruisdael — google arts & culture. (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-windmill-at-wijk-bij-duurstede/5gHsKOHsLvPatg?hl=en-GB