plate no. 0049

Flussmündung Mit Befestigter Stadt

oilBaroquecityscapecityscapewaterboatsbuildingsskyfigures

what to study here

It shows how a narrow set of values, a temperature shift on one tower, and graded edges can build space, light and scale in a river scene.

Start with the value structure. The darks sit low: the silhouetted figures loading a rowboat, the tower's shadow side, and the reflection of the dark city wall. The lights sit high, in cream clouds catching sun from the upper left. Water, mid-tone buildings and sails share a narrow middle band, and the city sits in the transition between the two zones. Squint and you should see a light sky over a dark foreground, with the tall brick tower as the vertical anchor. Next, look at the temperature split on the tower: warm on the sunlit face, cooler and softer in shadow, which gives it volume without outline. Then compare edges. The clouds are soft and blended, the distant sails are loose and almost impressionistic, and the sunlit tower and wall edges are crisper. The figures are dark shapes with fabric folds and no hard outlines. Haze softens the far vessels so they read as background. Notice also that the sky takes up most of the picture and the clouds shift rather than sit flat.

key decision

The painter concentrated the darks low (figures, tower shadow, wall reflection) and the lights high in the sky, with the city in a narrow middle band between them. This keeps the sky dominant and still pushes the tower forward.

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses Salomon van Ruysdael’s *Flussmündung Mit Befestigter Stadt* (River Mouth with Fortified City), a Baroque cityscape. While the specific visual details of this particular canvas are not described in the provided sources, the artist is documented as a leading figure in the 'classical' phase of Dutch landscape art, characterized by vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky and light against shade (Source 8). His work often pits the natural world against the built environment, such as castles or fortified structures, sometimes altering settings to enhance compositional drama (Source 2). The painting likely employs a restricted palette and atmospheric tonality, consistent with his coastal and riverine scenes which may utilize limited earth tones, blacks, whites, and blues to create dramatic effects (Source 2).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Black, Ultramarine, White, Earth tones, Yellow/Red ochres)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing	Standard tube oils; Ultramarine blue, Ivory Black, Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre
Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/linseed oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings, as cited in Reynolds' method applicable to old masters	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparent coats	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting	Linen canvas primed with gesso

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a standard oil painting ground. While specific preparation for this exact piece is not detailed, the artist’s practice involves building up forms through vigorous contrasts, suggesting a stable, white or light-toned ground is likely to facilitate the 'light against shade' technique characteristic of his classical phase (Source 8).

underdrawing

Use contour drawing techniques to establish the mass and volume of the fortified city and river mouth, focusing on the outlined shape rather than minor details (Source 6). This aligns with the general practice of establishing form before applying color. Note that Salomon van Ruysdael’s specific preparatory methods are not explicitly detailed in the sources, so this follows general Baroque landscape practice.

underpainting

Create a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white. This step mentally extracts red and yellow colors, establishing the value structure of the scene (Source 3). This technique is supported by the practice of old masters who used monochrome preparations before glazing (Source 3).

color palette

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Underpainting and shadows; part of the restricted palette used in dramatic coastal/river scenes

Ultramarine

Ultramarine Blue

Underpainting and sky/water tones; cited in Reynolds' method for old master technique

White

Lead White (historically) or Titanium White

Highlights and underpainting; essential for the 'light against shade' contrasts

Earth Tones (Brown)

Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna

Fortified city structures and land masses; consistent with the 'few brown earth colours' noted in his dramatic sea-pieces

Yellow/Red Tones

Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, Vermilion

Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and atmospheric depth, applied over the dry grisaille

composition

The composition likely emphasizes the contrast between the built environment (fortified city) and the natural element (river mouth). Consistent with the artist’s general practice, the scene may feature vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky (Source 8). If the city is on elevated ground, it may be positioned to pronounce its dominance, similar to his depictions of castles on hilltops or wooded mountains (Source 2). The arrangement should avoid 'smallness' and focus on broad masses (Source 1).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the main forms of the river mouth and fortified city using contour lines to emphasize mass and volume rather than detail.
Tip — Focus on the silhouette and spatial relationships; avoid getting tied down to outlines too early.
Contour Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (or stand oil). Establish the full range of values, mentally excluding red and yellow hues.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is quite dry before proceeding. This establishes the structural foundation.
Grisaille / Monochrome Underpainting

first pass

step 03
Begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply yellow and red tones transparently over the dry grisaille, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color. Use this to introduce warmth and atmospheric depth without obscuring the value structure.
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms if needed. Enhance the contrast between solid forms and the sky.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to show through. Use this to refine the 'vigorous contrasts' characteristic of the artist's classical phase.
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Apply final glazes with a mixture of varnish and oil to deepen colors and unify the surface. Ensure the fortified city and river mouth have the desired heroic or dramatic character.
Tip — This step adds depth and luminosity. Check for any tendency to 'smallness' and ensure broad masses are maintained.
Varnish Glazing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build up color and atmosphere over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture. This method was widely practiced by old masters to achieve depth and luminosity.

Contrast of Form and Light

The artist’s classical phase is defined by vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky and light against shade. This technique creates a grandiose effect and emphasizes the structural integrity of the landscape.

Compositional Alteration

The artist often modified settings (e.g., placing castles on wooded mountains) to enhance compositional drama. This suggests a freedom to adjust the layout of the fortified city for visual impact.

common pitfalls

→Becoming too tied down to outlines or over-modeling details, which can lead to a 'small' appearance. The artist’s work emphasizes broad masses and heroic forms (Source 1, Source 2).
→Applying color too opaquely in the early stages, which can muddy the underpainting. The glazing technique requires a dry, stable grisaille foundation (Source 3).
→Ignoring the atmospheric tonality. The artist’s work suggests atmosphere through tonality and restricted palettes, so avoid overly bright or saturated colors that break the mood (Source 2, Source 8).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of *Flussmündung Mit Befestigter Stadt* (e.g., exact layout of the city, specific architectural features, weather conditions) are not described in the sources.
·Salomon van Ruysdael’s specific underdrawing materials (e.g., charcoal, chalk, ink) are not explicitly stated in the provided passages.
·The exact date of the painting is not available, making it difficult to pinpoint the precise evolution of his style at that moment.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding 'smallness' and focusing on broad masses; general craft principles.
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Detailed instructions on grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques.

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia bio — Salomon van Ruysdael↗
- part 5 — applied to Artist’s compositional habits, alteration of settings, and use of restricted palettes in coastal/river scenes.
- part 8 — applied to Characterization of the artist’s 'classical' phase, emphasis on contrast and grandiose effects.
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- Contour drawing — part 1 — applied to Technique for underdrawing to establish mass and volume.

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Light pours from the upper left, turning the clouds golden and warming the fortified city's brick tower while casting the foreground into relative shadow. The eye moves first to the tall tower—the vertical anchor—then down to the dark silhouetted figures loading a rowboat, and outward across the water where pale sails signal activity and depth. The sky dominates; clouds drift and shift rather than sitting flat, creating drama without bombast. Atmospheric haze softens the distant vessels, making them read as background despite their detail.

value structure

The darks are concentrated low: figures, tower shadows, the water's reflection of the dark city wall. The lights sit high: cream clouds catching sun, the pale areas of sky. Everything else—water, mid-tone buildings, sails—occupies a narrow middle band. Squint and you see two strong value zones (sky light / foreground dark) with an active transition band between them where the city sits. This pushes the tower forward despite it receding spatially.

observed palette and mixes

#d8cebd
Titanium white + raw sienna + touch of yellow ochre
Cloud highlights and bright sky areas
#afadae
Ultramarine blue + titanium white + burnt umber
Cloud shadows and cool sky passages
#9fa0a5
Ultramarine blue + raw sienna + white
Water's cool reflective surface
#c2bcb4
Yellow ochre + raw sienna + white
Warm mid-tone brick and sandy areas
#83705f
Burnt umber + raw sienna
Tower's warm shadow side and foreground anchors
#342116
Ivory black + burnt umber
Silhouetted figures and darkest wall shadows

edges and brushwork

Clouds are soft and blended throughout, their edges lost in the haze of air. Distant sails and boats are suggested with loose strokes—almost impressionistic where they meet the far water. The tower and fortification walls hold crisper edges on the sunny side, but shadows remain soft. Foreground figures are rendered with intent but still painterly; no hard outlines, just dark shapes and fabric folds reading against the water.

a working sequence

01
Establish the sky foundation
Lay in the sky with broad strokes of pale blue-gray and warm cream, leaving room for clouds. The sun comes from the upper left, so warm the left side of the sky and cool the right. Don't make it uniform—let the underpainting show; this is where brushwork telegraphs movement and weather. Block the largest clouds as light shapes against this colored ground.
02
Model the clouds with shadow and light
Cloud shadows should be cool (ultramarine + raw sienna) and sit on the bottom edges where they catch the sky's depth. Cloud tops catch the warm light—keep these pale but not white. Look at how each cloud has a windblown shape; none are puffy round forms. Study the cream-colored clouds on the left and right—they're not the same value.
03
Block in the water and establish reflections
The water is a cool, muted blue-gray that reflects both sky and architecture. Paint it in broad horizontal strokes, keeping it darker in the foreground where figures stand and lighter as it recedes. The reflected light from the sky should be readable but never brighter than what's reflected from dark objects. The water's surface catches small horizontal accents of light.
04
Build the fortified city mass
Block in the brick walls with warm mid-tone ochre and burnt sienna, leaving the shadowed lower portions darker and cooler. The tower rises vertical and true—anchor its proportions now. The walls have texture from masonry but don't overstate it; distance softens detail. Notice how the warm sun hits the left and top faces while the right side falls into cool shadow. The crenellations at the top are silhouettes.
05
Place and define the foreground figures and boats
The dark rowboat and its crew are the darkest darks in the painting. Silhouette them against the water; their forms matter more than their features. A few figures stand, most bend or sit. One figure reaches or gestures. Keep shapes simple—this is about human scale anchoring an architectural space. The rowboat's hull sits just above the water line, not floating high.
06
Render distant vessels and establish atmosphere
The sailing ships in the middle distance are pale, caught in hazy light. Their sails catch warm gold from the sun; hulls are cool shadows. Don't render them crisply—loose brushwork and soft edges make them recede. Smaller boats on the far bank are suggestions of dark shapes. The atmospheric perspective here is everything; lose edges as they go back.
07
Deepen water reflections and integrate the scene
The water reflects the tower's warm wall as a darker, cooler echo. The figures' reflections sit directly below them but are broken and softened by the water's surface. The sky's light reflects as horizontal strokes of pale gray-blue. Don't make reflections too perfect or clear; they're interrupted and dimmed by the water's motion and depth.
08
Refine the tower and push focal clarity
The tower demands attention; sharpen its edges and strengthen its value contrast with the sky. The conical roof is dark silhouette. Windows and details on the walls should be readable but not labored—a few dark strokes suggest masonry without stating every stone. The tower's solidity comes from its shadow side reading cooler and its sunny side warmer, not from outline.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Making the sky too pale or uniform—the drama lives in cloud variation and golden warmth on the left side. Clouds must feel wind-pushed, not decorative.
Painting water too bright—it's a mirror that's mostly reflecting cooler sky and dark buildings, not a light source itself. Keep it muted and let it darken in the foreground.
Losing the figures—they're small but critical. The eye needs dark human shapes to ground scale. If they disappear into the rowboat, the whole spatial reading collapses.
Making the tower look flat—the shadowed right side must be visibly cooler than the sun-struck left face, and this difference creates volume, not an outline.
Overworking distant boats—they should be suggested, not rendered. Crisp edges here kill recession and flatten the scene. Squint and they should almost vanish.

measured difficulty