Four fishermen guide us across the river in their boat. There the town wall begins, which leads our eye along the riverbank to the polder beyond. The sturdy brickwork is brought to life by an endless variation of light and shade, reflected wonderfully in the water. Van Goyen made subtle use of his colours. Touches of green appear all around to suggest the foliage of trees and shrubs. The tower catches the final glow of the evening sun, basking in a range of grey, green and brown hues.

Jan van Goyen was essentially a draughtsman, even when painting. Before he reached for his brush, he would make numerous sketches from life; these were to remind him of the scene back in his studio where he worked the drawings into a painting. He had a unique approach to painting, with his rapid brushwork and restrained colours. In the 18th and 19th centuries Van Goyen's work was forgotten. But this changed with the advent of Impressionism, when he was recognised as a unique 17th-century landscape painter with a style far ahead of its time.