Salomon van Ruysdael Biography

Salomon van Ruysdael was called De Goyer until he and his brother Isaack changed their name to Ruysdael, after the castle near their father's birthplace, Blaricum. Salomons nephew Jacob was the only member of the family to write the new name with an 'i': Ruisdael. Salomon lived in Haarlem, but probably travelled throughout the Netherlands. He painted townscapes of various Dutch cities. Who taught Salomon van Ruysdael the art of landscape painting is no longer known. His early work is clearly influenced by Esaias van de Velde. Van Ruysdael mainly painted riverscapes. In the 1630s he and Jan van Goyen developed a new, monochrome style.