Segers's river landscape is nothing like the Dutch landscapes painted by some of his contemporaries. They sought to render the landscape as realistically as possible, whereas Segers gave full rein to his imagination. It is in fact unlikely that Segers ever laid eyes on a mountainous landscape such as this. Instead, he found inspiration in the fantasy landscapes of the older Flemish masters. Here Segers painted rugged boulders and a wild, rushing river, placed on the panel with fitful brushstrokes, a nice example of which appears in the mass of rocks in the right foreground. Segers succeeded with such simple means in creating a small-format landscape that is nonetheless grand and mysterious. Contributing to this effect are the passers-by, who seem small and insignificant in such overwhelming surroundings. Nowadays Segers's paintings are extremely rare: only eleven are known, although there must have been more. Rembrandt, who was a great admirer of Segers, owned no fewer than eight. (http://www.mauritshuis.nl)