Wooded Landscape with a Water-mill

Hobbema has used a large oak tree to frame a watermill in this idyllic rural scene. Daubs of green and brown paint create the impression of dense, coarse foliage, with the millpond acting as a peaceful oasis at the centre of the composition. 

Although there were many watermills of this type in the northern Netherlands, it is unknown whether this painting was based on a specific location. The watermill is a recurring motif in Hobbema’s work, appearing in over thirty of his pictures. The costumes worn by the couple, on the path to the left, have been used to date this work to the 1660s.