Pastoral in spirit if not specific content (no cows), this picture shows 
a harmony between man and nature.  The technology depicted, a fortified 
mill, is shown as an extension of a village, the village is set serenely 
in a landscape.  A magnificent tree grows among the village structures, 
their materials seem to derive from the surrounding hills.

The image also flirts with the picturesque.  There are the trappings of 
romantic painting with the inclusion of distant ruins, the water wheel 
has a rustic air, the fortifications are a technological curiosity.

But the artist in his text, points to an earlier tradition, 17th Century 
Flemish painting and more specifically, Vermeer.  This period was a time 
of technical innovation in the Netherlands, where extensive dykes and 
waterways were built.  These canals were often depicted in the 
landscapes from the period.   As much as the mill extends the village it 
also is a part of the man-made features of the river.  The picture seems 

shore, water with stonework and arches along the far shore, a town 

expansive view then sustained by the depth of detail.  Both have an 
naturalistic, optical approach.

The architecture is handled with the skill and attention to detail we 
have come to associate with this artist, and he demonstrates his 
facility with elements of water, sky, and terrain in addition.

There is a dynamic tension between the effect of light and atmosphere 
and the effect of texture and saturated color. However the juicy greens 
in the picture push the main harmony toward the register of secondary 
colors: orange, purple, and green, rather than the primaries: red, blue, 
and yellow, which would be more characteristic of Vermeer.

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