View of Haarlem from the northwest, with the bleachers in the foreground, Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael, ca. 1650 - ca. 1682
A linear horizon, a high sky with stacked clouds - this is how any stranger experiences the flat Dutch landscape. Ruisdael painted it with the city of Haarlem in the distance, recognizable by the high roof of the St. Bavo church. At the foot of the dunes in the foreground, long strips of linen lie bleaching in the sun. The Haarlem linen industry made use of the pure dune water.
