Ferry near Gorinchem. Artist: Salomon van Ruysdael (Dutch, Naarden, born ca. 1600-1603, died 1670 Haarlem). Dimensions: 41 7/8 x 52 1/2 in. (106.4 x 133.4 cm). Date: 1646.Ruysdael has a reputation for inventing topography, but this canvas depicts a largely faithful view of Gorinchem (Gorcum) from the south. The artist's viewpoint was on a spit of land called Buiten de Waterpoort, along the river de Merwede. The 197-foot tower of the Great Church is seen through the trees, while a windmill, ramparts, and identifiable buildings recede in the right background. Travellers at an inn and in a fishing-cum-ferry boat enliven the scene. Ruysdael lived well to the north in Haarlem, but he was part-owner of a mill in Gorinchem and in 1643 and 1644 painted landscapes incorporating parts of the local castle of Loevestein. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.