Meindert Hobbema
Dutch·1638–1709
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Dutch Golden Age landscape painter Meindert Hobbema (1638-1709) specialized in sunlit woodland scenes before creating his famous late masterpiece, The Avenue at Middelharnis. Born in Amsterdam to a carpenter, he was orphaned by age fifteen and lived in an orphanage before becoming the only documented pupil of Jacob van Ruisdael, Amsterdam's leading landscape painter. The two artists shared a close bond, sketching together on tours and often painting the same views. Ruisdael served as witness at Hobbema's 1668 wedding to Eeltje Vinck, the cook of Amsterdam's burgomaster.
Unlike his master's wild, dramatic landscapes, Hobbema preferred quiet rural scenes featuring watermills, twisted trees, and dappled sunlight. His idyllic compositions are lighter in tone and mood than Ruisdael's work. Through his wife's connection to her employer, Hobbema secured a well-paid position as wine-gauger for the Amsterdam customs in 1668, greatly reducing his artistic output though he never stopped painting entirely. In 1689, twenty years into his customs career, he produced The Avenue at Middelharnis, now in the National Gallery in London. This geometric composition of straight road, lopped trees, and ordered fields breaks completely from his earlier woodland style and has inspired artists from Van Gogh to David Hockney. Despite modest reputation in his lifetime, Hobbema became highly valued from the late 18th century, beloved by John Constable and the Norwich school painters. Works hang at the Rijksmuseum and major collections worldwide.
Notable Works by Meindert Hobbema
1 painting catalogued with museum locations
Museums with Meindert Hobbema's Work
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About Meindert Hobbema
Hobbema was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter, the only documented pupil of Jacob van Ruisdael, Amsterdam's leading landscapist. While his early works closely followed his teacher's compositions, he developed a lighter, brighter style with crisp blue skies, specializing in peaceful woodland scenes animated by small figures and watermills.
The Avenue at Middelharnis (1689) at the National Gallery in London shows a straight road lined with tall, lopped trees receding toward the village. This painting, surprisingly different from his usual woodland scenes, has long been one of the best-known Dutch landscapes, often called the swansong of Dutch Golden Age landscape painting.
In 1668, Hobbema married and became a wine-gauger for Amsterdam customs, a well-paid municipal position involving weighing and measuring imported wines. This steady income reduced his artistic output considerably, though he never entirely stopped painting. His masterpiece The Avenue at Middelharnis dates from 1689, twenty years after he largely gave up professional art.
The National Gallery in London holds The Avenue at Middelharnis plus several woodland scenes. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam displays multiple works. Major paintings also hang at the Louvre, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and the Frick Collection in New York.
Hobbema trained under Jacob van Ruisdael, maintaining a close friendship even after his apprenticeship ended. Ruisdael witnessed Hobbema's wedding in 1668. The two often sketched together and sometimes painted identical views. However, while Ruisdael favored dramatic, moody atmospheres, Hobbema preferred sunny, optimistic woodland scenes with dappled light.
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