Village on a River

1620–25

Village on a River, 1620–25. Jan Jansz den Uyl (Dutch, 1595/96–1639/40). Black chalk, with transparent and opaque watercolor in blue, green-blue, gray, and ochre, framing line in brown ink on antique laid paper; framing line in brown ink; sheet: 10.3 x 16.4 cm (4 1/16 x 6 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 2019.14 This small sheet by Jan Jansz. den Uyl shows the Amsterdam artist recording a scene that he probably encountered during a walk outside the city. Once back in his studio, he embellished the view with watercolors in blue, green, gray, and ochre. In the 1620s, when this was made, sketching landscape scenes on-site was still relatively new in the Netherlands. The drawing does not relate to any known work by Den Uyl, who was a noted still life painter, and he probably made it for his own pleasure. In the 1620s, when this small drawing was made, sketching landscape scenes en plein air (on-site) was still relatively new in the Netherlands.