This picture, a fine example of Wijnants’s early style, demonstrates how his landscapes are essentially variations on a single theme. Typically, the right side of the picture depicts a rugged track twisting around a sandy bank, with finely detailed vegetation in the foreground and with figures on the road adding picturesque interest. The gnarled silhouette of the central tree, and the shattered trunk on the road provide extra texture. These elements, together with the dramatic cloudy sky and distant panoramic landscape, recall the landscapes of Ruisdael (q.v.), but the sense of foreboding found in Ruisdael’s work is notably absent. Instead, Wijnants presents a more cheerful rural vision, bathed in bright crystalline light, with a blueish tonality and nervous fractured brushstrokes.