Using the cemetery of the Jewish-Portugese community at Oudekerk near Amsterdam as a point of departure, Ruisdael’s painting goes beyond mere description. The artist has created an allegorical landscape in which the abandoned tombs, ruined church and storm clouds allude to the transience of all earthly things while the rainbow suggests the persistence of hope.
Object Date
c. 1654/1655
Dimensions
56 x 74 1/2 in. ( 142.2 x 189.2 cm)
Framed: 67 3/4 x 85 1/8 x 5 1/2 in. (172.09 x 216.2 x 14.0 cm)
