Jacob van Ruisdael paints Bentheim

In 1650, Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682), the greatest landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age, took the opportunity to travel. In the company of Nicolaes Berchem, he set off to the border region of the Netherlands and Germany in search of inspiration. The result was a series of impressive and important paintings of Bentheim Castle. The series testifies to the profound impression that the journey and the castle must have made on Van Ruisdael. The paintings are among this versatile artist's best-known and best-loved works. With their innovative composition, they played a key role in the development of Dutch landscape painting in the Golden Age. This publication has been produced to accompany the exhibition 'Greetings from Bentheim, Jacob van Ruisdael' in the Mauritshuis, The Hague.