“A River with a Sailing Boat on Nieuwe Meer” is a landscape drawing attributed to Rembrandt, an eminent figure of the Baroque art movement. The artwork is estimated to have been created around the year 1650. Presently, it is housed at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, United States. This piece is evocative of the Baroque period’s characteristic attention to detail and interest in rendering nature and everyday life.
The artwork illustrates a serene moment on the Nieuwe Meer, which is a body of water in the Netherlands. A single sailing boat with its tall mast occupies the right-hand side of the composition. Its sails appear to be down, either in the process of being set or perhaps stowed away. The boat is slightly tilted, which could suggest gentle movement through the water or perhaps the effects of a mild breeze.
On the left, the riverbank is densely lined with what looks to be reeds or shrubbery, sketchily rendered to create a sense of texture and depth. These banks frame the river, leading the viewer’s eye toward the background, where a flat horizon suggests the open expanse of the Dutch landscape. Throughout, there are indications of other crafts and activity in the distance, although they are subtly suggested rather than clearly delineated.
Rembrandt’s skillful use of ink gives the artwork its delicate atmosphere, with the fluid lines conveying both the stillness and the gentle motion inherent to the scene. The composition balances the detailed foreground with the simplicity of the expansive water and sky, a testimony to the artist’s mastery of the landscape genre. Despite its simplicity, the drawing is imbued with a sense of tranquility and natural beauty typical of the Baroque era’s landscapes.