Here, the precise textures of foliage, bark, grass, rocks, and cascading water are illuminated by the cold, gray light of an approaching storm. For all its realism, though, the awesome scene does not portray the Dutch countryside, which has no waterfalls. Ruisdael developed his majestic subjects by studying the work of other artists, sketching during a trip up the Rhine river to Germany, and consulting books of religious and social symbolism. The rotting trunk and stump of a white birch tree, for instance, relate the concept of death and the passage of time. Two smaller canvases by Ruisdael are also part of the Gallery's collection.
Landscape contrasts a vibrant tree with a dead trunk.
Country House in a Park suggests the vanity of mortal pursuits. In a forgotten, unattended garden, a storm forces lawn bowlers to abandon their frivolous game. Ruisdael's famous pupil, Meindert Hobbema, adapted many of his mentor's themes but not these deeper levels of meaning.