Goldweigher's Field

This etching from Rembrandt features a landscape view of the Dutch region of Bloemendaal and was completed in 1651. The finished piece derives from an earlier drawing and many prints were produced from it, many of which still exist today.

The title of Goldweigher's Field is actually an incorrect summary of the land shown here. Jan Wtenbogaert was nicknamed The Goldweigher and appears in several Rembrandt portraits, but is not believed to have been the owner of the region shown in this landscape artwork. In fact, it is the Saxenbury estate owned by Christoffel Thijs that appears in front of us, but the reason for the confusion has never been uncovered. Philips Koninck was a related artist of that period who produced a similar work from approximately the same angle and this helped to highlight the innaccurate title given by Rembrandt. The most recognisable building within both scenes would have to be St Bavochurch of Haarlem, a construction from 1245 that still remains there today.

During this period in European history, very few buildings would actually reach up higher than the trees that lined the town's streets. This made for a picturesque image where nature and the touch of humanity would live together fairly well in tandem. Only the church would reach up above and that would be for the purposes of symbolism as well as the practical purpose of reminding others of their need to follow the right moral path. Rembrandt would have been sit on or around the dunes of this region, looking down on the picturesque town and the various agricultural estates that surrounded it. The whole atmosphere is a mile away from this artist's expressive masterpieces, where drama and tension would come to the fore. See the likes of Return of the Prodigal Son and Night Watch for examples of that.

The original drawing can now be found at the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam. They offer a delightful selection of North European art which continues to retain its academic respect as well as a considerable following within the public. You will discover some notable Bosch paintings here, as well as perhaps its biggest highlight - The Little Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Aside from that, several more recent artists are also included which helps to keep the collection connected to the present and future, including Surrealist Rene Magritte who helped to refresh our minds in how we think about Belgian art.

Object Notes and Research Context

The Rijksmuseum now titles the work Panorama near Bloemendael showing the Saxenburg estate and treats The Goldweigher's Field as a former title. That correction should sit near the top of the article because the popular title can mislead readers into thinking the land belonged to Jan Uytenbogaert, the goldweigher, rather than being identified with the Saxenburg estate near Haarlem.

British Museum and NGA records describe the print as etching and drypoint from 1651, a wide landscape built from small marks, plate tone and a broad balance of land and sky. The page can therefore explain why this is one of Rembrandt's most important landscape prints: it is less about a single dramatic event than about distance, flat terrain, estate ownership and the visual rhythm of the Dutch countryside.

The corrected title changes the interpretive emphasis. Panorama near Bloemendael showing the Saxenburg estate points towards place, estate identity and landscape structure, while The Goldweigher's Field preserves the familiar older route. The old title remains useful for recognition, while modern museum records explain why the wording has changed.

The wide format makes the print one of Rembrandt's most satisfying landscapes. The interest lies in recession, low horizon, patches of land, distant buildings and the fragile balance of etched line and paper tone. It should link to Three Trees and to the etchings page because landscape was a smaller but important part of Rembrandt's printed work.

Further Rembrandt Context

This shorter legacy page remains part of the Rembrandt archive. For fuller context, use the refreshed Rembrandt pages below, which explain the artist's biography, media, technique, attribution issues and major works in greater depth.

• Rembrandt
• Rembrandt etchings
• Rembrandt Style and Technique
• Rembrandt Workshop and Attribution

For secure object data, attribution and collection history, compare Goldweigher's Field with the relevant museum or catalogue record before treating older page text as final.

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