early life and training meindert lubbertszoon hobbema, a prominent dutch golden age painter, was born in amsterdam in 1638. baptized on october 31, 1638, hobbema's early life is marked by a brief period in an orphanage from 1653. however, by 1655, he had left the orphanage and begun his artistic training under the guidance of jacob van ruisdael, a leading amsterdam landscapist. artistic career and style hobbema's artistic career, spanning over four decades, is characterized by his specialization in woodland landscapes. his paintings, often featuring sun-dappled forests, rustic water mills, an…