The Watermill with the Great Red Roof
A pupil of Jacob van Ruisdael, Meindert Hobbema often borrowed motifs from his teacher, such as the watermill seen here. Watermills, which Hobbema employed more than 30 times in his paintings and which abounded along country waterways, would have been understood as symbols of human transience and Dutch industriousness. The well-dressed figures farther along the path at the left are intended to suggest the rewards of productivity and diligence.
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 81.3 × 110 cm (32 × 43 1/4 in.); Framed: 101.3 × 130.5 × 8.3 cm (39 7/8 × 51 3/8 × 3 1/4 in.)
- Origin
- Holland
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Logan
Art Genome Taxonomy
10 tags
Subject Matter
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Landscapes and Waterscapes Both · 99%
The image is organized as a broad wooded landscape with a foreground waterway, waterfall, mill, trees, path, and sky; the catalog identifies landscapes, river, and water as subjects.
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Water Both · 99%
A substantial body of water occupies the foreground, with water visibly falling through the mill structure; water and river are also listed in the catalog subjects.
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Rural Life Both · 94%
The scene depicts a countryside path, wooded banks, fields, a working mill, and small walkers rather than an urban environment.
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Figures in Nature Both · 88%
Small human figures appear along the path within the wooded landscape; the catalog specifically refers to well-dressed figures farther along the path.
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Animals Both · 86%
Several small ducks are visible on the foreground water, and ducks are listed among the catalog subjects.
Visual Qualities
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Earth Tones Visual · 94%
The landscape is dominated by dark greens, browns, ochers, muted blues, and warm red-brown roof tiles.
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Dense Composition Visual · 90%
Large trees, layered vegetation, the mill, mechanical structure, foreground water, figures, and clouds create a visually substantial and richly populated composition.
Medium and Techniques
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Oil Painting Metadata · 99%
The catalog specifies oil on canvas, and the image clearly presents a painted work rather than a print or photograph.
Time Periods
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17th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the work to circa 1665, within the 17th century.
Geographic Regions
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Dutch Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies Hobbema as Dutch and gives Holland as the place of origin.
Source & rights
Meindert Hobbema. The Watermill with the Great Red Roof. The Art Institute of Chicago.