Landscape with the House with the Little Tower

On his excursions outside of Amsterdam, Rembrandt van Rijn frequently followed the waterways, drawing and later etching these flat Dutch landscapes. Rather than aiming for a detailed reproduction, Rembrandt emphasized only the important elements. He eliminated parts, giving the viewer no more than was necessary to see and feel what he himself saw and felt. Even though this view along the Schinckel River is topographically accurate and scholars have identified the house with the tower, it is Rembrandt's economy of means that makes the drawing enchanting.