“A Road through an Oak Wood” is a captivating oil on canvas painting by the preeminent seventeenth-century Dutch landscape artist Jacob van Ruysdael. This masterpiece, which measures 102.5 x 127 cm, is part of the permanent collection at The National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo. It bears the partially effaced signature of Ruysdael on the lower right corner, confirming its authenticity.
The painting’s journey through time and ownership is as storied as the work itself. It was once part of Sir Thomas Baring’s collection in London, dating back to 1848. It changed hands several times, being owned by Charles Sedelmeyer in Vienna in 1872, A. Scharf in Paris in 1876, and Baron Étienne Martin de Beurnonville in Paris in 1881. By 1898, it was listed in C. Sedelmeyer’s “Catalogue of 300 Paintings.” Eventually, it became part of the esteemed collection of the Fürst von Liechtenstein in Vienna. Around 1964, Hans Günther Sohl of Brüderich bei Düsseldorf acquired it, and by 1971, it was with Galerie Nathan in Zürich. In 1980, the Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan procured the painting, and it was subsequently transferred to The National Museum of Western Art.
The painting has been exhibited across the globe, from the British Institution in London in 1839 to the Wiener Weltausstellung in 1873. More recent exhibitions include “Züruck zur Natur” at Kunsthalle Bremen in 1977, “Between Fantasy and Reality: 17th Century Dutch Landscape Painting” at Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art in 1993, and “SHADOWS: Works from the National Museums of Art” at The National Art Center, Tokyo in 2010.
Jacob van Ruysdael’s work is renowned for its intricate depiction of natural landscapes, and “A Road through an Oak Wood” is no exception. It showcases his ability to capture the essence of the Dutch countryside with a realism that paved the way for future artists like Thomas Gainsborough. The painting’s provenance and exhibition history are meticulously documented, reflecting its significance in the art world and the cultural heritage shared between the Netherlands and Japan.
