In
the early seventeenth century, a great deal of artistic innovation spurred the development
of an emerging genre: landscape. Esaias van de Velde, an early practitioner of nature
study, used his drawings to advance a naturalistic approach to local topography
and more fantastical vistas. This imaginary view invites the beholder to enjoy
the scenery, complete with picturesque ruins atop a rocky outcropping. The
horsemen, in elegant attire, follow a path leading them toward their own
pleasant view of a waterfall.