“Castle by a River” is an evocative oil painting created by the Dutch artist Jan van Goyen in 1647. This artwork, which now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, was generously donated by Edith Neuman de Vegvar in 1964 in honor of her husband, Charles Neuman de Végvár. The painting depicts a serene scene of fishermen casting their nets in front of a moated fortress, a subject that caters to the appreciation for picturesque and ancient architecture.
Van Goyen’s mastery is evident in his use of a hardwood surface, which allowed him to achieve a variety of painterly effects, bringing life to the limited color palette he employed. The painting showcases his ability to evoke textures such as crumbling masonry, rippling water, and cottony clouds. Despite its realistic appearance, the castle in the painting is a product of the artist’s imagination, pieced together from both observation and fantasy.
The history of this painting is marked by its seizure by the Nazis from Baron Karl Neuman in Paris during World War II. It was later restituted to him by 1947. Before finding its home at The Met, the painting had changed hands several times, including being part of a private collection in England and passing through the hands of various art dealers.
“Castle by a River” is signed and dated by Van Goyen, and it stands as a testament to the artist’s skill in landscape painting, a genre for which he was renowned during the Dutch Golden Age. The painting is not only a visual delight but also a historical artifact that has survived through centuries, bearing witness to the tumultuous events of its time.
