The Travelers

A friend and pupil of Jacob van Ruisdael, Hobbema and his teacher often made sketching trips together into the countryside near Amsterdam, later using their drawings as studies for paintings. On occasion the same scene would appear in works by both artists, for the old mill in this painting is also found in a painting by Ruisdael in Amsterdam. Even though the scenes might be similar, the paintings would differ greatly in style, for Hobbema approached landscape more as a reporter, and Ruisdael more as a poet.