Title of Artwork: “Bentheim Castle”
Artwork by Jacob van Ruisdael
Year Created 1653
Summary of Bentheim Castle
Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob van Ruisdael painted Bentheim Castle (1653) in oil on canvas. The National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin has it on display as a part of their collection.
All About Bentheim Castle
Ruisdael painted Bentheim Castle a total of twelve times, and this one is often regarded as his finest effort. His journey to Bentheim with Nicolaes Berchem in the early 1650s took him across the border into western Germany.
Because it depicts the castle atop a wooded mountain instead of a hilltop like the other works in the series, this one is known as the “Dublin variant” to distinguish it from the other works in the series with similar titles. In reality, the castle sits on a sloping hill.
These versions demonstrate Ruisdael’s ingenuity and originality. Despite the great level of realism in his landscapes, they are frequently compositions rather than precise replicas of the real world.
110 x 144 cm is the size of the painting. According to Slive’s 2001 catalogue raisonné of Ruisdael’s work, this picture is listed as entry number 15.
Van Ruisdael’s work has a catalogue number from Slive’s 2001 catalogue raisonné of the same name.
