BMA Explores the Importance of Water in 17th-Century Dutch Society through Works by Frans Hals, Rembrandt, and Other Acclaimed Artists

Watershed is part of a series of exhibitions, programs, and initiatives at the BMA focused on issues of environment and sustainability

BALTIMORE, MD (October 22, 2024)— Across geographies and time, water has played a critical part in shaping landscape, driving economic fortune, and inspiring technological and artistic innovation. This February, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) will open Watershed: Transforming the Landscape in Early Modern Dutch Art, an exhibition that reflects on the importance of water in the development of the new Dutch Republic—present-day Netherlands—leading up to and following its liberation from Spain in the 17th century. Through approximately 40 paintings and works on paper by such acclaimed artists as Frans Hals, Balthasar van der Ast, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Jacob van Ruisdael, among many others, the exhibition highlights the pivotal role of water in the political, social, economic, and ecological evolution of the emergent country. Watershed will be on view at the BMA from February 9-July 27, 2025, and is part of the museum’s ongoing Turn Again to the Earth initiative that explores environmental and sustainability issues.

“While national dialogues about environmentalism are often framed through contemporary experience, Watershed captures the realities of human engagement with the environment that began centuries ago,” said Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director. “The beautiful and often romantic views created by Dutch artists reflect economic prosperity and provide insights into the ecological and human ramifications of that success, historically and into the present.”

The region home to the Dutch Republic is largely situated at or below sea level and is defined by sandy coastlines and inland waterways and wetlands. As a result, the Dutch people have long engaged with landscape and the environment. In the 17th century, as they struggled for independence, they likewise undertook the critical work of draining waterlogged land, building dikes and canals, and protecting vulnerable coastlines. These efforts allowed them to control the natural landscape, and consequently, pursue economic ambitions at home as well as across the globe through their maritime power. Artists depicted the changing society around them through a variety of landscapes that feature elements of nature, commerce, and leisure activity. Equally important was the production of portraiture, still lifes, and maps, which were tied to these changes across society.

To explore the different dynamics that shaped this period in Dutch art and history, Watershed is organized around five interconnected themes.

• Labor and Trade: Paintings and works on paper in this section capture the Dutch Republic’s maritime prowess and its economic industries, from agriculture to fishing, as well as trade across numerous routes supported by access to different waterways. Many of the works offer a romanticized view of the Dutch Republic’s rise to power, omitting the intense physical labor and manipulation of the land necessary to achieve its successes. Among the works included in this section are the print View of the Diemerdijk with a Milkman and Cottages (“Het Melkboertje”) (c. 1650) by Rembrandt; the painting View of Rhenen (c. 1656) by Jan Josephsz van Goyen; the ink and watercolor Rustic Buildings beside a River (c. 1605–1615) by Claes Jansz Visscher; and the etching Paysage avec Cours d’Eau (1775) by Cornelis Ploos van Amstel, after a work by Pieter Coopse.
• Water and Technology: The ubiquity of water in and around the Dutch Republic required the creation of new technologies to harness the benefits, and control the challenges posed by these varying bodies of water. The country was transformed by the development of drainage systems and engineering projects, which allowed for the reclamation of 200,000 acres of land in the first half of the 17th century, and with that, agricultural and urban growth. Artists responded to these successes in various ways, with works like The Windmill (1641) by Rembrandt van Rijn and The Description of the newly invented and patented hose fire engine and her ways of fighting fires, now used in Amsterdam (1735, 2nd ed.), a publication by Jan van der Heyden, which documents the artist’s life-saving urban invention.
• Global Currents: Through immense trade opportunities and imperialist ambitions, the Dutch created a commercial empire that stretched from Asia to the Americas. Artists captured the spoils of this growth—from still lifes of newly coveted objects to portraits of the wealthy, and through maps and other depictions of the new world. Allegorical prints of the four continents served as some of the first imagery of conquered lands and peoples, shaping perceptions for centuries to come. Among the featured works are the major still life painting A Tulip, a Carnation and Roses, with Shells and Insects, on a Ledge (1630s) by Balthasar van der Ast; the portrait paintings Dorothea Berck, Wife of Joseph Coymans (1644) by Frans Hals and Portrait of a Man (1626) by Nicolaes Eliasz Pickenoy; and the print The Discovery of America (c. 1580s, reprinted c. 1630) by Jan van der Straet.
• Leisure and Nostalgia: Advancements in land development, urbanization, and the rise of the merchant class resulted in an increase in leisure activities, especially outdoors in the countryside and along waterways. Notably, the cooling temperatures during the Little Ice Age (1570-1720) gave rise to more winter sports and games. The time spent in nature also manifested in a sense of longing and nostalgia in art. This is particularly visible in several etchings by Rembrandt in this section, including View of Amsterdam from the Kadijk (c. 1641), Six’s Bridge (1645), and Canal with a Large Boat and a Bridge (“Het schuytje op de voorgrond”) (1650). Among the other works here are the painting Landscape on the River Meuse (1643) by Salomon van Ruysdael, and the etching Winter (c. 1680) by Jan Almeloveen.
• History and Landscape: Before landscape emerged as its own distinct artistic genre, it was often used as an important part of storytelling, supporting biblical narratives, historical accounts, and other social and political material. Among the works featured here is a printed pamphlet from 1682 that recounts a devastating flood in the Low Countries that same year, highlighting the centuries-old impact of severe weather.

Many of the works in Watershed are drawn from the BMA’s extensive holdings, highlighting the depth of the museum’s prints collection and some of its major paintings from this period in Europe. Several rare books were loaned from Johns Hopkins University’s Sheridan Libraries, including The John Work Garrett Library, The George Peabody Library, and George Peabody Special Collections. Watershed captures the new narrative opportunities offered by the ongoing growth of the BMA’s collection.

Watershed: Transforming the Landscape in Early Modern Dutch Art is curated by Dr. Lara Yeager-Crasselt, BMA Curator and Department Head of European Painting and Sculpture. This exhibition is supported by Dutch Culture USA, part of the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the Netherland-America Foundation.

Turn Again to the Earth

About the Baltimore Museum of Art

Founded in 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) inspires people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, programs, and collections that tell an expansive story of art—challenging long-held narratives and embracing new voices. Our outstanding collection of more than 97,000 objects spans many eras and cultures and includes the world’s largest public holding of works by Henri Matisse; one of the nation’s finest collections of prints, drawings, and photographs; and a rapidly growing number of works by contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds. The museum is also distinguished by a neoclassical building designed by American architect John Russell Pope and two beautifully landscaped gardens featuring an array of modern and contemporary sculpture. The BMA is located three miles north of the Inner Harbor, adjacent to the main campus of Johns Hopkins University, and has a community branch at Lexington Market. General admission is free so that everyone can enjoy the power of art.