Meydert Hobbema Dutch landscape painter. Country: Netherlands

1. Meindert Hobbema: A Dutch Landscape Painter
2. An Atypical Career
3. The Influence of Ruisdael and Hobbema's Unique Style
4. The Unique Approach of Hobbema

Meindert Hobbema: A Dutch Landscape Painter

Meindert Hobbema, a renowned landscape painter of the Netherlands, worked during the second half of the 17th century when the genre of landscape painting reached its peak. Hobbema, who was a pupil of Jacob van Ruisdael, inherited the best traditions of his predecessors.

An Atypical Career

Hobbema's career was typical for the Netherlands in the 17th century. He was a talented painter but not a full-time professional. He studied under Jacob van Ruisdael for only one year (1656-1657) but maintained a friendly relationship with him throughout his life. It is possible that Hobbema already had another profession before his studies with Ruisdael. His earliest dated paintings are from 1658-1659, suggesting that he may have pursued painting after being inspired by the art scene. However, in 1669, Hobbema abruptly left painting and joined the city customs office as a minor official. It is unclear what circumstances led him to make this decision, but his artistic activity significantly decreased or ceased altogether. There are no dated works by Hobbema after 1669.
Despite being a close friend of Ruisdael, Hobbema differed significantly from his teacher in terms of his artistic concept. He had a more practical and less romantic view of the world, but he was a much more intimate landscape painter. His landscapes do not evoke a sense of mystery or philosophical thoughts on the transience of human life like Ruisdael's works. Instead, Hobbema's landscapes captivate viewers with cozy, human-inhabited houses, water mills, and signs of human labor. His depictions of nature are mundane and prosaic, portraying a joyful and uplifting mood. As a result, viewers easily immerse themselves in his cozy and harmonious world of tranquility.

The Influence of Ruisdael and Hobbema's Unique Style

Hobbema's early works, influenced by Ruisdael or inspired by his pieces, reflect his own idyllic mood and individuality. For example, in one of his landscapes from around 1660 ("Landscape with a Hut," Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts), Hobbema borrows compositional elements from Ruisdael but creates an entirely independent image. The trees, which are often tragically intense in Ruisdael's paintings, lose their dramatic nature in Hobbema's work and become part of the simple rural life. Hobbema's picturesque manner also sets him apart from Ruisdael. His brushwork is freer and lighter, giving his paintings a more energetic and expressive texture. Hobbema's color palette is brighter and warmer compared to Ruisdael, who preferred cold tones.

In 1663, Hobbema's landscape painting career reached its brilliant but short-lived peak. His landscapes became independent of Ruisdael's compositions in terms of their internal content, although some individual compositional elements still reappear.

The Unique Approach of Hobbema

Ruisdael and Hobbema had different perceptions of nature. Ruisdael saw nature in its heroic aspect, keenly perceiving the dramatic clash of natural forces. Hobbema, on the other hand, perceived nature in its everydayness, highlighting its lyricism. Interestingly, Ruisdael painted realistic landscapes whose prototypes were easily recognizable in specific locations, while Hobbema's paintings, except for two landscapes, do not have specific places as their prototypes. Thus, it can be concluded that Hobbema painted from his imagination rather than from life. Hobbema's landscapes are masterfully constructed, with a balanced and symmetrical composition. He often places a massive, sprawling tree in the foreground, with its crown reaching into the sky. This tree appears in multiple compositions, albeit with slight variations. Typically, a forest glade or a road leading into the distance can be seen on either side of the tree. Nearby are rural buildings, whether a mill or a shed. These elements are enlivened by one or several human figures that appear among the trees or on the road. Nothing in Hobbema's landscapes is random; everything is meticulously planned to create a sense of realism and concreteness. Despite their generalization, these landscapes reflect the artist's vision of the Dutch countryside and the lives of its inhabitants. Hobbema never depicts untamed nature in his paintings but always includes either humans or traces of human activity, emphasizing the everyday work of people. Examples of this can be seen in his works such as "The Water Mill" in the Louvre, "Road in the Forest" in the National Gallery in Washington, or "Landscape with a Mill" in a private collection in London.

Hobbema was one of the first artists to make nature directly relatable to humans. His landscapes attract viewers with their cozy and inhabited scenes. Almost every painting features a motif of a road starting at the viewer's feet and leading into the depths of the canvas. The most characteristic example of this compositional technique is the famous "The Avenue at Middelharnis" in the National Gallery in London. The painting is dated by the artist himself, either 1669 or 1689. The first date is considered more likely as it coincides with the year when Hobbema almost stopped painting to pursue a career in public service. This is one of the two landscapes by Hobbema that has a real prototype, explaining the unusual presence of a distant landscape in which a small town with a towering bell tower can be distinguished. However, all other elements of the composition are traditional for Hobbema and are likely products of his imagination.

"The Avenue at Middelharnis" is a remarkable work not only within Hobbema's oeuvre but also within the entire Dutch landscape tradition. Its unique symmetric composition aligns it with landscapes of the following century, in which the element of decorative perception of nature is crucial. However, as much as this landscape represents a step towards the future, it can also be considered an embodiment of the present. It embodies all the artistic experience and ideas that Hobbema pondered and attempted to express through his art. Hobbema invites viewers to follow him and experience the beautiful landscape, breathe in the fresh air, and gaze at the vast blue sky with drifting clouds. This immersion in nature and merging with it is the main essence of Meindert Hobbema's artistic pursuit.