Dutch school; 17th century.

Dutch school; XVII century.
"Waterwoman".
Oil on oak panel.
It has frame of the second half of the nineteenth century.
Measurements: 37 x 49 cm; 49 x 63 cm (frame).
This painting of the Dutch school of the XVII century presents a landscape bathed in golden tones, where the light plays a leading role to wrap the scene in a warm and serene atmosphere. The composition is organized with a wide horizon, where the river and the vegetation merge with a sky softly illuminated by the effects of the sun, possibly at dawn or dusk. In the left area of the work, barely sketched, the figure of a woman is perceived, whose presence adds a subtle narrative nuance to the landscape, suggesting a hidden story or an element of contemplation within the vastness of nature.
The landscape genre acquired great importance in seventeenth-century Dutch painting, reflecting the artists' deep interest in capturing the beauty of their natural surroundings. Unlike the Italian or Flemish traditions, where landscape often served as a backdrop for mythological or religious scenes, in the Netherlands landscape became an independent motif, celebrating national identity and man's dominion over his territory.
The pictorial quality of the Dutch school is evident in the treatment of light and color, fundamental elements in this work. The golden tones, applied with delicacy and precision, create a sense of depth and realism, while the subtle brushwork brings an almost tangible texture to the fields and sky. This meticulous observation of nature and masterful handling of atmosphere were characteristic of artists such as Jacob van Ruisdael or Aelbert Cuyp, who elevated landscape to a genre of great prestige within Dutch Golden Age painting.
In this context, the presence of the female figure, although secondary within the composition, can be interpreted as a resource that emphasizes the scale of the landscape and its immensity, or as an allusion to the harmonious relationship between human beings and their environment. Thus, this painting not only represents a landscape, but evokes a sensory and emotional experience, testimony to the high artistic level reached by the Dutch school of the seventeenth century.