Born Salomon de Goyer in Naarden, he later adopted ─ like his brother Isaack ─ the name of the nearby castle Ruijschdaal. Little is known of his training. In 1623 he joined the Haarlem Guild of St Luke. Although he remained in Haarlem throughout his life, his landscapes testify to extensive travels throughout the Netherlands. His paintings radiate calm and harmony, presenting an idealised world in which nature appears in perfect order. This timeless quality also characterises the present work.

Jan van Goyen’s view of Dordrecht on the distant horizon is among the most impressive late works by this founder of tonal landscape painting. Dated 1655, it shows the artist at the height of his powers. With a reduced palette of browns, greys and blues, van Goyen creates a dense atmospheric effect. His characteristic monochromy shifts attention from detail to the whole, lending the landscape a modern, almost abstract clarity. In this conscious departure from naturalism, van Goyen reveals his innovative understanding of landscape as a vehicle for atmosphere.