A Group of Trees by a Road

Rembrandt van Rijn (attributed to) 1606 - 1669

Summary

A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of a drawing by Rembrandt. The drawing shows a road in a rural setting with a fence and trees to the side. The road curves round to the left of the composition, while to the right there is a large group of trees. In the foreground, to the right side of the road is a fence, and to the right of this is an animal (probably a horse) grazing in a small field. Towards the right edge of the composition is another structure but it is unclear what this is. Text from the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society: "No. 23 REMBRANDT (b. 1606; d. 1669) A GROUP OF TREES BY A ROAD Collection of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth (from the Collection of N. A. Flinck). H. de G. [Hofstede de Groot], 837; Lippman, 64. Pen and bistre. 13.2 x 20.7 cm. (5 1/4 x 8 1/8 in.) The Chatsworth Rembrandts include the finest series of the master's landscape drawings in existence. The present study is an excellent example of Rembrandt's style about the middle of the forties, comparable to the etching of the Omval of 1645. The particular locality appears in several other studies at Chatsworth, e.g. Lippmann, 54, 67, 71, 74, and 82 b, the point of view in Lippman 54 being almost identical, while another of the same place in Mr. Heseltine's collection (H. de G., 1062) bears an inscription signed by Philips Koninck: Dies tekeningh vertoont de buiten anstelkant / soo braaf getekent door heer Rembrandts eygen hant. P. Ko. It must be one of the bends in the river Amstel, like that of the Omval, in the neighbourhood of Amsterdam. In the drawing reproduced the presence of the river on the left is merely suggested. A. M. H."