Description

Van Ruisdael painted the outskirts of his native city on numerous occasions, using different viewpoints and a range of motifs and experimenting with the perspective and presentation of the view. 

In the present example, Van Ruisdael depicted fields for bleaching linen cloth, as we can see in the centre of the composition, located in a large field before a group of houses. This flourishing and profitable industry took place on the outskirts of Haarlem using imported raw material. Van Ruisdael here presents a view of the city of Bloemendaal, located at the foot of the dunes to the north of Haarlem, and which has been identified by its church in the centre of the composition.