A keepsake notecard or stunning stationery for a lovely note, this notecard features a drawing by Jacob van Ruisdael (1628/29–1682). Earlier Dutch landscape painters served as models for French artists throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries—notably Ruisdael, who was admired for portraying specific, rather than idealized, locations. By varying his touch in drawings such as this riverine landscape, he distinguished each element of the scene. Rousseau and Diaz were inspired by Ruisdael’s technique and pushed further in their attempts to capture light effects and natural textures. This notecard is a product made to complement the exhibition Into the Woods: French Drawings and Photographs from the Karen B. Cohen Gift on view at the Morgan Library & Museum June 16 through October 23, 2023.
