Apollo van Rijn – Crows in Cornfields. by Robert Jan Smit

There are paintings that depict a landscape, and there are paintings that capture a mood. *Crows over Cornfields* undoubtedly belongs to the latter category. Here, light and darkness meet above a ripening cornfield, whilst a flock of crows fills the sky with movement and restlessness. The winding path invites the viewer to enter the landscape, but the threatening clouds make it clear that the destination remains unknown. In this work, Apollo van Rijn demonstrates a remarkable mastery of light. The warm golden glow over the corn is reminiscent of the dramatic chiaroscuro technique that made his alleged mentor, Rembrandt, so famous. At the same time, the vast field with its circling crows inevitably evokes memories of Vincent van Gogh, as if two centuries of painting were to meet for a moment on the same canvas.
Yet *Crows over Cornfields* is no imitation of the great masters. Apollo chooses his own path. His brush lets nature speak as a living being: the corn seems to whisper in the wind, the sky exudes tension and the birds appear as messengers between earth and heaven. The composition radiates both tranquillity and unease, allowing every viewer to discover their own story.
Perhaps this painting tells of the end of a journey. Or perhaps, on the contrary, of a new beginning. Just as the crows take flight from the field and vanish into the sky, so Apollo sets the imagination free to soar further than the canvas could ever reach.
‘Crows over Cornfields’ is a work that is not merely meant to be viewed, but above all to be experienced. With every new glance, different details, different emotions and different questions are revealed. It is precisely therein that the timeless power of this impressive landscape lies.