CODART, Dutch and Flemish art in museums worldwide

Jacob van Ruisdael in Bentheim

Exhibition: 26 February - 1 June 2009

From the museum website, 16 February 2009

Jacob van Ruisdael (1628?-82) was around 22 years old of age when he travelled to the Dutch-German border region. He travelled together with his friend and fellow painter Nicolaes Berchem (1620-83), who, like Ruisdael, came from Haarlem. Just across the border, near Oldenzaal, they visited Bentheim. As a result of their visit, Van Ruisdael painted around 15 landscapes featuring Bentheim Castle. The most beautiful of these works have been brought together for the first time in the exhibition Greetings from Bentheim.

In 2005, the Mauritshuis purchased one of Van Ruisdael’s views of Bentheim, prompting the museum to organise this exhibition. In addition to five ‘Bentheimpjes’ by Van Ruisdael, works by other artists are also on display, including one of the paintings Nicolaes Berchem made of Bentheim.