It is not uncommon for people to look at unity and disunity as if they were opposites, however, unity and disunity can also effectively complement one another. Unity and disunity often achieve a yin-yang effect and prove to be separate sides of the same coin. If one looks hard enough he will often see that parts that seem to be in competition with one another can also come together to form a sense of harmony.

Salomon van Ruysdael (1629-1681) is the artist who achieves both harmony and discord in his work River Landscape with Fishermen. According to Dennis Weller within the work, Seventeenth-Century Dutch and Flemish Paintings, Salomon van Ruysdael was “originally named Salomon de Gooyer,” however, for unknown reasons he chose to change surname his to Ruysdael, after the Castle Ruissdael in Gooiland a property once owned by his family.[iv] However, his nephew, the arguably more famous Jacob van Ruisdael, also renamed himself after the Castle Ruissdael. This presents an interesting case of unity and disunity between Ruysdael and his nephew, Ruisdael. Though they are both united by their name and familial ties John Loughman notes in the Oxford Art Online database they were in competition with one another.[ii] This constant state of competition between these Dutch landscape artists, who share a last name, creates disunity between the two. The disunity between Ruysdael and Ruisdael expresses itself in their art. Though the two artists are aiming to distinguish themselves separately it becomes more difficult because of the similarities between their artistic styles especially since they both focus on landscapes.  However, the two were said to have maintained a positive relationship through their competition. What is interesting to note is that while Ruysdael was noted for laying the foundation for “great classical Dutch period that followed,” by the Dutch and Flemish Paintings Harold Samuel Collection there appears to be very little information about him, so the “winner” of the friendly competition is up for debate.[iii]

Competition also asserts itself in Ruysdael’s work, River Landscape with Fishermen. On the surface this work seems be a depiction of what the title notes, fishermen on a river landscape. However if one considers the context of the piece then the work gains an added level of depth by fusing competition with the aspects of both unity and the lack thereof. Ruysdael’s use of perspective fuses the conflicting ideas –namely that of unity, disunity, and competition– and shows them all in a harmonious manner. As the viewer approaches the canvas, he holds the perspective of an outsider looking in on the fishermen at sea; they appear uniform and united in their similar occupation and in their close proximity or groupings. Ruysdael also intentionally avoids adding excessive detail to any of their faces to allow them to maintain their uniformity.  He also manages to display this unity with his monochromatic color scheme. However, there is also a stark contrast in this piece—though subtle and subdued; the contrast being the competition between the fishermen. The fishermen show disunity in way that is very similar to that of Ruysdael and Ruisdael as they are constantly in competition with one another though they have the same artistic goal. The competition between the fishermen can also, to some extent, be attributed what Britannica notes as the rise of capitalism as a deliberate economic system within Europe from 1500-1750.[i] However, if one looks too deeply into these small details he may miss other displays of unity and disunity Ruysdael shows within the work.

Ruysdael was, at his core, a landscape artist, so the viewer should focus on the landscape when interpreting his work. There appear to be storm clouds that directly contrast an otherwise serene landscape. The appearance of the storm clouds is very subtle and seems to fit with what the Dennis Weller would have noted as a use of Ruysdael’s “monochromatic harmonies.”[iv] Though the dark and brooding storm clouds create discord within the scene they appear to fit perfectly, fusing the aforementioned discord with unity. Those “monochromatic harmonies” as well as the color scheme contribute to subtly sinister color palette. The way that the color palette focuses on mute shades of purple and gray could be another way in which Ruysdael chooses to show the presence of competition between the fishermen; noted, as a competition that is very mild in nature. By fusing unity and disunity subtly the effect of the work is one that attaches itself to the viewer in a quiet, but eerie way. Softly coaxing the viewer to see that unity and disunity may be the antithesis one of another, but they can also work quite well in unison.

CSD

[i] “Captialism” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/93927/capitalism.

[ii] Loughman, John, “van Ruysdael, Salomon,” Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T074730?q=Salomon+van+Ruysdael&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit

[iii] Sutton,Peter C. Dutch & Flemish seventeenth-century paintings : the Harold Samuel collection . Cambridge, England: Art Services International, 1992.

[iv] Weller, Dennis P. Seventeenth-Century Dutch and Flemish Paintings. Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art, 2009.