View of Haarlem and the Haarlemmer Meer

The bell tower of the church of Saint Bavo in Haarlem gives this small but extraordinary panoramic view an appearance of topographic accuracy. In fact, the landscape knits together features of several different drawings from van Goyen’s sketchbooks, some observed from the heights of the bell tower itself. The panoramic viewpoint and the use of atmospheric perspective, whereby the more distant elements appear green or blue, connect van Goyen’s scene to the much earlier Netherlandish landscapes on view in this gallery.