About this artwork
This tranquil scene bathed in golden light is typical of Cuyp’s mature landscapes. It shows Valkhof Palace in the Dutch city of Nijmegen, on the Rhine. Associated with the Batavians, whom the Dutch believed were their ancestors, and their resistance to invaders, the Valkhof came to symbolise the courage and bravery of the nascent Dutch Republic in its struggle against Spain. The palace itself was built by Emperor Charlemagne on Roman foundations in 777, rebuilt in 1155 by Frederick Barbarossa and demolished by French revolutionary troops in 1775. Cuyp illuminated the Valkhof with golden, Italian light to create an idealised view of this national monument.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Aelbert Cuyp (1620 - 1691) Dutch
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title:Landscape with a View of the Valkhof, Nijmegen
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date created:About 1655 - 1660
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:113.00 x 165.00 cm; Framed: 147.50 x 198.00 x 13.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased with Art Fund support, 1972 (in recognition of the services of the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres to Art Fund and the National Galleries of Scotland)
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accession number:NG 2314
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gallery:
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subject:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Aelbert Cuyp
Aelbert Cuyp
Cuyp’s landscape paintings combined the golden light of Italian skies with contemporary Dutch scenery. Contact with artists from Utrecht, who had spent time in Rome, inspired him to use a broad range of colour. He specialised in land, sea and riverscapes, often including groups of cattle and...
