17th Century Landscape Paintings

Tiziano Vecellio (Pieve di Cadore 1488 - Venice 1576), follower of - Penitent Magdalene. 35.5 x 25 cm without frame, 48.5 x 38.5 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting on panel, in a ...

Pandolfo Reschi known as Monsù Pandolfo (Danzica 1643 - Florence 1699), attributable Coastal landscape with fortified city, castle with tower, and battle scene oil painting on canvas Measurements: canvas 90 x 120, with frame 104 x 134 This expansive coastal landscape, with a fortress-city overlooking the sea and a small castle with a watchtower, serves as the stage for an eventful battle scene between soldiers and, presumably, a band of brigands. It is an illustrative typology attributable to Pandolfo Reschi (Danzica 1643 - Florence 1696), known for his works in which he perfectly combines the airy landscape of Tuscan-Roman matrix with images of knights in battle or brigands intent on their raids. Pandolfo Reschi was born in Gdansk but from an early age he moved to Rome where he began his brilliant career following the style of Salvator Rosa, even if his real teacher was the Flemish-Italianized Livio Mehus. With Mehus and Rosa he refined his skills as a battle painter and was later taken to the workshop by the Borgognone, even if his main occupation was that of a genre painter. The decisive turning point in his career came after his transfer to Florence, around the middle of 1660, where he continued his studies with Livio Mehus. After a decade he was now an established and highly coveted painter, so much so that in 1670 he was hired by the Medici court as protege of Cardinal Francesco Maria de Medici...

Quality work attributed to the painter Peter Van Der Velde (Antwerp 1634 - c.1714) - Monogrammed Coastal view with vessels and perched castle Oil painti...

Carnival in Rome in Piazza Colonna Roman school of bamboccianti (mid-17th century) - workshop of Michelangelo Cerquozzi (Rome 1602 - Rome 1660) Oil on canvas 74 x 96 cm. - Framed 88...

Italian Master (17th century) - The Flight into Egypt Appears to St. Francis. 37.5 x 51.5 cm unframed, 71 x 83 cm framed. Oil on canvas, in a carved wooden frame (not signed). Con...

This fantastic Flemish 17th century Old Master oil painting is by Thomas Van Apshoven. It was painted circa 1650 and depicts a village with figures outside a tavern, eating, drinking and dancing. Beyond are more dwellings, villagers and animals, all under a blue summer's sky. The detail, brushwork and vibrant colouring are superb. This is an excellent example of Apshoven's work and a typical subject he loved to paint. Provenance. Leominster estate. Wax stamp verso. Condition. Oil on panel, 22 inches by 17 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed In beautiful gilt frame, 30 inches by 25 inches and in good condition. Thomas van Apshoven (1622– 1664) was a Flemish painter known for his landscapes with peasant scenes and genre scenes in interiors. His genre scenes depict village festivals, the interiors of taverns, village scenes or landscapes with peasants engaged in various activities, singeries, guardroom scenes and laboratories of alchemists. Some still lifes have also been attributed to him. His themes and style are close to that of David Teniers the Younger. He was born on 30 November 1622 in Antwerp as the eldest son of Ferdinand van Apshoven the Elder and Leonora Wijns. His father was a painter who had studied with Adam van Noort and had become a master of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1596. No paintings by his father are known. His younger brother Ferdinand van Apshoven the Younger became also a successful painter. Thomas studied under his father. Some sources state that he became a pupil of the prominent genre painter David Teniers the Younger. It is more likely, however, that he was an imitator of Teniers. He was registered as a 'wijnmeester' [son of a master] in the Guild of St. Luke of Antwerp in the guild year 1645–1646. He married Barbara Janssens on 22 March 1645. The couple had four children. The godfathers of the children included the painters Victor Wolfvoet...

Christ surrounded by angels in the desert Circle of Pietro da Cortona, born as Pietro Berrettini (Cortona 1597 - Rome 1669) Oils on canvas (66 x 50 cm. - in frame 80 x 64 cm.) The ...

European Painter (17th-18th century) - Helios and Phaeton. 63 x 135 cm unframed, 72 x 143.5 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting on panel, in an integrated wooden frame (not signed)...

Dutch School, 17th century oil painting on board, this work features a golden ship on blue seas with white crests against a stormy clouded sky. In the distance more ships can be seen, and a spot of blue sky gives the stormy clouds relief. Light shines through the white clouds casting shadows of color on the gray storm and choppy sea waters. Dramatic and masterful. Presented in overall very good condition in what may be the original mahogany wood frame. Excellent for an office, library, den or study, but can also be effective in a living room, dining room or bedroom. The frame has a rich wood tone. Easy to ship and ready to hang. Check out our Saltire Gallerie...

Artist: Adriaen van Stalbemt (Stalbempt) 1580-1662 Title: Abraham and the Sacrifice of His Son Isaac “Das Opfer des Abraham” According to the Old...

Johann van der Hagen (1676-1745) Smack rigged Royal yachts Oil on canvas Canvas Size 30 x 25 in Frame Size 37 x 32 in Provenance: The Parker Gallery. Johann van der Hagen was a Dut...

Giulio Carpioni (Venice 1613 - Vicenza 1678) workshop of - Moses makes water flow from the rocks. 82 x 68 cm without frame, 97 x 83 cm with frame. Oil on canvas, in wooden frame (n...

Diana The Huntress and her Cherubs Northern European artist, circa 1680's period oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 20 x 60.5 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: some p...

Charmant paysage hollandais du XVIIe siècle, Cercle de Anthonie Jansz Van Der Croos Dimensions : 21 x 25 cm (hors cadre) Huile sur panneau Offrez-vous un fragment poétique de l'âge ...

Francesco Graziani, known as Ciccio Napoletano (active in Naples and Rome in the second half of the 17th century) Battle with clash of horsemen Oil on canvas 95 x 130 cm In period ...

Tuscan Master (17th century) - Raising of the Cross. 52 x 45.5 cm without frame, 69 x 62.5 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on panel, in a carved, gild...

This superb Dutch Golden Age Old Master landscape oil painting is attributed to Jacob van der Croos. Painted circa 1670 it is an Italianate landscape with figures and their animals i...

This very busy oil on panel is a Dutch Old Master painting dating to around 1620 by artist and poet Willem van Nieulandt. It is an incredibly detailed and colourful scene composed of...

The Grape Harvest Flemish/ Dutch School, 17th century oil on wood panel panel: 13 x 16 inches provenance: private collection, Belgium condition: very good and sound condition

Where the Sea Meets Home, A 17th-Century Port Seascape attributed to Andries van Eertvelt Bathed in the warm and vibrant light of a beautiful day, this remarkable 17th-century seasc...

Théobald Michou (Tournai, 1676 – Antwerp, 1765) River landscape with village Oil on canvas 62 x 98 Framed 74 x 110 cm We present this vast and harmonious composition, where ...

Flemish school, 17th century Orpheus and the animals Oil on canvas, 146,5 x 217 cm Provenance: South German private collection. On an impressive, room-filling format, this painting depicts "Orpheus and the Animals." The harp-playing Orpheus sits centrally in front of a tree whose trunk bifurcates above his head. This central tree frames with its crown the scenery towards the horizon and at the same time offers through branches the possibility for many birds to find space. The left half of the picture is characterized by a seascape, at the edge of which the ruins of a castle can be seen deep in the background. This seascape, framed by mountains on the horizon, is the only area where sky can be seen. On this side, waterfowl such as storks, swans and ducks can be seen. In the right half, the viewer looks into a deep European forest. On this right side, more land animals can be found, such as deer, rabbits and lions, among others. Orpheus wears opulent red and gold trimmed clothing, under his blue breastplate we see a white shirt. His feet are adorned by elaborate sandals. His head is surrounded by a radiant laurel wreath ("poeta laureatus"). The young man is clearly identifiable as the singer and poet of Greek mythology, Orpheus, by his harp, the laurel wreath and the animals surrounding him. Orpheus was one of the Argonauts who, under Jason, was searching for the Golden Fleece. He sang so beautifully that he even conquered the angry sea and enemies by the magic of his lyre. During the journey, Orpheus is said to have drowned out even the sirens with his singing. It is said that he was the greatest of all poets and charmed people, animals, stones and trees with his singing. In total, 51 birds and 37 different species are depicted in the painting. The animals are mostly depicted in great detail and, except for a few, can be identified. Mainly European species of animals are shown. Exceptions are the ostrich-like nandu peeking out from behind the deer, as well as the large parrot on the upper left, and the two lions. Similar is the case for the large animal directly behind Orpheus on the right. The shape of the head suggests an arctic fox from the polar regions, even though the body is much too large. The arctic fox was first described in 1555 by Olaus Magnus. However, it could also be a depiction of a brown or black bear. An unusual detail is the animal, which is relatively isolated in the right background and looks to the left. It is not clearly identifiable, but it shows certain similarities with the Australian kangaroo. This was first described by Vespucci in 1500 and further by Francisco Pelsaert in 1629. If it is indeed a kangaroo, this would be one of the earliest surviving pictorial representations. In this painting, Orpheus is accompanied by a small monkey playing a viola da gamba. This is an iconographic peculiarity. In general, this painting has some peculiarities compared to other paintings with "Orpheus and the animals". The central positioning of Orpheus is quite common, but he usually holds a lyre and is dressed in an antique style, but not as opulently. The choice of animals is also remarkable: European animals in particular are seen, hardly any exotic features, such as camels or elephants. The two lions in the right foreground are a quotation from Peter Paul Rubens and his depiction of "Daniel in the Lion's Den", which was realized in an engraving. The present painting can be classified as belonging to the Flemish School of the 17th century on the basis of its painterly and compositional conception. From the circle of Jan Brueghel the Younger are numerous representations of this Orpheus - theme, which take it as an opportunity to show as many exotic animals. There are also echoes of Spanish painters such as Juan de Arellano...

Workshop / Circle of Philips Wouwerman (1619-1668) Landscape with Gentleman on Horseback and Peasant Woman Receiving Alms oil on oak panel 12.40 x 14.17 inches (31.5 x 36 cm) wit...

"The Working Landscape" Italian School, 17th century oil painting on canvas, framed canvas: 42.5cm x 60cm framed: 50.5cm x 68cm Fine quality Italian Old Master oil painting on can...

Old master painting featuring a busy port city in the 17th century. Most likely Dutch and very close in style to the work of Thomas Heeremans. This is...

Girolamo Bonini, called Anconitano (Ancona, circa 1600 - Bologna 1680) Annunciation (or Madonna of the Beautiful Angel) Oil on canvas (115 x 91 cm. - Framed 134 x 108 cm.) Work accompanied by the expertise of Prof. Emilio Negro The work, undoubtedly commissioned as an object of private devotion, shows the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, a Gospel episode here set on the two figures portrayed in the foreground, the Archangel Gabriel with outstretched wings, a portrait of supernatural beauty, and the Virgin; We see her here absorbed in reading a prayer book with her eyes turned humbly downwards as a sign of devotion, while a small cherub hands her white lilies, a symbol of purity and chastity.   In the upper part of the composition is the austere image of God the Father, with the dove radiating with light, emblem of the Holy Spirit, surrounded by a flock of angels fluttering in the clouds charged with intense glow and play of light, in full Baroque style. It should also be noted that the image of the Saviour's mother in a delicately pious attitude, with her yellow veil, her broad blue mantle and her usual modest red dress from which the edges of her white blouse protrude, is to be interpreted as a kind of tender allegory of sacred love. The painting in question is an interesting replica with variants of the composition commissioned from Francesco Albani for the Fioravanti chapel in the ancient church...

Huile sur toile XVIIe siècle Dim sans cadre 52/42 cm Dim avec cadre  60/50 cm Ecole Hollandaise Entourage de Jan Asselyn Scène de la vie courante comme aimait à les représenter  les ...

A delicate oil on canvas landscape capriccio of an Arcadian landscape with figures and sheep and goats in the foreground. A stormy sky and blasted tree populate the landscape and the...

Painting oil on canvas measuring 45 x 55 cm without frame and 65 x 75 cm with frame depicting an outdoor peasant scene from the Flemish school of the late 17th and early 18th centur...

Jacques Waben (Alkmaar ca. 1575-1641/1642 Hoorn) Signed in the bottom centre and dated ‘J. Waben f./1620’. The Announcement to the Shepherds Oil on oak panel 103 x 63 cm in frame 107 x 67 Provenance: Vienna Palais Dorotheum Old master painting 10.12.2015 (lot 143) This is a spectacular depiction of the theme of the annunciation to the shepherds, set in a nocturnal atmosphere dense with photos but refined, the episode of the birth of Jesus reported in the Gospel according to Luke (Lu 2:8-15), in which an angel announces the birth of Christ to a group of shepherds. We see the scene just as described in the Gospel passage that sets the event at night where the shepherds, intent on watching over their flock, were startled by the sudden appearance of an angel of astonishing beauty who we see here radiating a powerful golden light, while at his side a multitude of other angels from the heavenly army sing praises to God. After exhorting them not to be afraid, he informed them that a saviour, the Messiah, had been born in Bethlehem, whom they would find wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, cared for by the Virgin and St Joseph. The annunciation to the shepherds was the most depicted night scene in Flemish painting from the 15th century...

Giovanni Agostino Cassana (c.1658 – 6 May 1720) Venetian Birds with an Upturned Basket of Fruit Oil on canvas: 25 x 35 in. Frame: 33 x 43 in. The canvas is unsigned Abate, or Gio...

Attributed to Jan Gerritsz. Stockman (1603–1661) "Paesaggio Classico con Figure" (Classical Landscape with Figures) Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 162 x 146 cm Dimensions...

Painted in collaboration with Hendrick van Balen (Antwerp, 1575 – 1632). Provenance: Private Collection, Uruguay, since the 1930s. The eldest son of Jan Br...

A beautifully detailed late 17th or early 18th century Dutch or Flemish landscape with cows grazing in the water, goats, dogs, and other animals near the water’s edge, under the watchful eye of the herdsmen, on a backdrop of rolling hills and trees. Oil on wood panel, unsigned, and housed in a Rudolph...

Italian School, 17th century oil on canvas (laid on board), framed framed: 15 x 21 inches board: 14 x 20 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound ...

Nicolas Poussin (Les Andelys 1594 - Rome 1665) Workshop of Little Moses found by Pharaoh's daughter Oil painting on canvas Measurements: canvas 45 x 59 cm., in frame 57 x 71 cm. We present this splendid work representing the episode, taken from the Old Testament, of the finding of little Moses by the daughter of the Pharaoh (Exodus 2, 1-10), and which reveals from the first glance the unequivocal pictorial style of the painter. Nicolas Poussin (Les Andelys 1594 - Rome 1665). Poussin spent most of his life in Rome giving life to works capable of fusing the ideal of French classicism...

This lovely Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to artist Pieter Wouwerman. Painted circa 1660 it is figurative landscape with horseback travellers and their dogs in the foreground approaching ruins on their left. Beyond is a river snakes through the landscape, beneath the fading light of approaching dusk. There are some superb details making this an excellent Dutch Golden Age oil painting...

Jan Miel (Antwerp, 1599 - Turin, 1663) attributable Return from the Hunt Oil on canvas (51 x 66 cm Framed 74 x 89 cm) Tous les détails sont disponibles sur le LIEN suivant The wor...

Artist/ School: 17th Century Dutch School Title: An Extensive River Landscape with Figures in the foreground Medium: oil painting on canvas, framed Pai...

Rare Engraving "Cabane Des Hold, Terres Artiques, Fig CII," 1st edition "Description de l’Univers, page 281 This rare image depicts the Willem Barentsz expedition of 1597 to Novaya Zemlya, Russia. The engraving, with later hand-coloring, shows the cabin and ship of the Dutch arctic expedition of Barentsz on Novaya Zemlya (Nova Zembla), with the party being attacked (and in some cases apparently eaten) by bears and wolves. Dutch explorer, Willem Barentsz, reached the west coast of Novaya Zemlya in 1594, and in a subsequent expedition of 1596 rounded the northern point and wintered on the northeast coast. Barentsz died during the expedition, and may have been buried on the northern island. This artwork is a page from a book by 17th century cartographer and engineer, Allain Manesson Mallet (French, 1630-1706), "Description de L'Univers, contenant les differents systêmes du monde, les cartes générals et particulières de la géographie ancienne et modern." Paris: Denys Thierry, 1683. Presented in an cream colored mat. Text on verso shown in images. Mat Size: 11.5"H x 9.07"W Paper Size: 8.25"H x 5.44"W Image Size: 5.63"H x 3.75"W Alain Manesson Mallet (French, 1630-1706) was a 17th century cartographer and military engineer. He started his career as a musketeer in the army of Louis XIV, became a Sergeant-Major in the artillery and an Inspector of Fortifications. He later served under Alfonso VI, King of Portugal...

Herman Saftleven the Elder (Rotterdam 1609 - Utrecht 1685) workshop Winter Landscape with the City of Utrecht Oil on canvas 81 x 65 cm. - framed 105 x 91 cm. The painting depicts a...

Jacques Muller (Utrecht 1630 - 1680) Signed: 'J. Muller f(ecit).' Pupil of Abraham van Cuylenborch (Utrecht, 1620 - 1658) Diana and the nymphs bathing in a cave Second half of the ...

Christian Reder (Leipzig 1656 - Rome 1729) Landscape with pastoral idyll Oil on canvas 66 x 132 cm Framed 76 x 143 cm We present this delightful work, of which the matchin...

This superb Dutch Old Master Golden Age oil painting is attributed to Pieter Bodding van Laer. Painted circa 1635 the composition is a group of travellers who have stopped to rest. I...

Oil on Canvas. Venetian school of the late 17th-early 18th century. Within a large classical landscape with rich vegetation and rosy atmospheres is a small handful of soldiers: some,...

Attributed to Pier Francesco MOLA, called Il TICINESE (1612-1666) Rest on the Flight into Egypt oil on canvas 25.5 x 27 inches including ...

Antonio Travi, called Sestri (Genoa, Sestri Ponente 1608 - Genoa 1665) Landscape with ruins and biblical scene First half of the seventeenth century oil on canvas, 82 x 121 cm The beautiful painting published, which presents a vast landscape with architectural ruins, fully reflects the pictorial poetics of Antonio Travi (Sestri Ponente 1608 - Genoa 1665), the first landscape painter of the Genoese pictorial school; A poetic that remains constant throughout his career: Bernardo Strozzi...

Pair of Views of Villa Medici Vascello are an old master artwork realized by Artist of 17th Century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. The View of Villa Medici Vascello toward...

Village Archery Tournament, 17th Century School Of David Teniers (1610-1690) Large 17th Century Dutch village peasants archery tournament, oi...

Jacob De Heusch (Utrecht, Netherlands, 1657 – Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1701) Title: Pair of Landscapes Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 50 x 8...

An original, very large Dutch Old Master oil on canvas which is attributed to circle of Jan Wijnants and was painted circa 1680. The huge canvas is in good clean condition and depicts a wooded landscape with travellers passing through. A delightful very large country house old master painting. Provenance. Private collection, Christies. Condition. Oil on canvas. Very large, image size is 53 inches by 41 inches and in good clean condition. Framed size is 63 by 51 inches. The carved original 17th Century wood frame...

The Announcing Angel Carlo Maratta (Camerano, 1625 – Rome, 1713)Workshop Oil on canvas 63 x 75 cm. - Gilded wood frame 89 x 75 cm. Excellent condition, restored, 19th century ...

We present this pair of fascinating coastal views, the fruit of the author's imagination, executed with an elegant descriptive taste and conceived with the scenographic sensitivity typical of the Flemish landscape tradition of the late seventeenth century. The canvases, in particular, fully reflect the pictorial style of the Flemish Peter van den Velde the Elder (Antwerp 1634-1707), a famous painter specialized in marine views with port cities and fortresses. Pair of paintings with fancy coastal views Circle of Peter Van de Velde the Elder (Antwerp 1634 -1714) Oil on canvas, cm. 43 x 64 With framens cm. 70 x 89 They respectively represent a port city and a fortress perched overlooking the sea, both animated small characters, which at first sight evoke the coasts of the Mediterranean, even if the mixes with Northern European elements are inevitable, including a small mill...

In the foreground, we see two conquistadors and three natives accompanying them landing on the shore, presumably on a reconnaissance mission in an unfamiliar bay. Perhaps they are in...

17th century Italian School The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist Oil on canvas Dimensions: h. 106 cm, l. 77 cm Important 17th century Italian carved giltwood frame Fram...

Royal Navy Blue Squadron Off A Mediterranean Port, early 17th Century School Of Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen (1573-1633) Large 17th Century scene of the Royal Navy Blue Squadron o...

No Dutch draughtsman ever captured the atmosphere of the rural countryside of Holland with the same atmospheric and engaging simplicity that Van Goyen achieved in drawings such as this. Indeed, his landscapes were seminal in the development of the genre. The present sketch conveys a striking sense of movement within the natural landscape, conveyed by the deftly applied strokes of chalk, from which the artist’s hand can be sensed. The composition is characteristic of his work, with the low horizon affording significance to the broad sky and the soaring birds within. This feeling of windswept motion powerfully evokes the expansive Dutch farmland with which he was evidently preoccupied. 1. Jan van Goyen...

This lovely Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to noted Dutch artist Nicholaes Berchem. Painted circa 1665 it is a charming pastoral scene of a shepherd and his animals including sheep, goats, donkey and cows and of course his trusty dog. They are all resting beneath trees while he looks on attentively. The light in the sky and the light and shadows on the animals is beautiful. A really superb example of Dutch Old Master art with great detail. Provenance. Surrey estate. Christies stamp verso. Condition. Oil on canvas, 38 inches by 32 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a complementary gilt frame, 46 inches by 30 inches and in good condition. Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1620-1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and genre pieces. He was a member of the second generation of "Dutch Italianate landscape" painters. These were artists who travelled to Italy, or aspired to, in order to soak up the romanticism of the country, bringing home sketchbooks full of drawings of classical ruins and pastoral imagery. His paintings, of which he produced an immense number, (Hofstede de Groot claimed around 850, although many are misattributed), were in great demand, as were his 80 etchings and 500 drawings. His landscapes, painted in the Italian style of idealized rural scenes, with hills, mountains, cliffs and trees in a golden dawn are sought after. Berchem also painted inspired and attractive human and animal figures (staffage) in works of other artists, like Allaert van Everdingen, Jan Hackaert, Gerrit Dou, Meindert Hobbema and Willem Schellinks. Born in Haarlem, he received instruction from his father Pieter Claesz, and from the painters Jan van Goyen, Pieter de Grebber, Jan Baptist Weenix, Jan Wils and Claes Cornelisz. Moeyaert. According to Houbraken, Carel de Moor told him that Berchem got his name from two words "Berg hem" for "Save him!", an expression used by his fellows in Van Goyen's workshop whenever his father chased him there with the intent to beat him. No trip or Grand Tour by Berchem was documented by Houbraken though he mentioned another story about the "Berg hem!" nickname which came from Berchem's conscription as a sailor; the man in charge of impressment knew him and sent him ashore with the words "Save him!". Today his name is assumed to come from his father's hometown of Berchem, Antwerp. According to the RKD he traveled to Italy with Jan Baptist Weenix, whom he called his cousin, in 1642–5. Works by him are signed both as "CBerghem" and "Berchem". In 1645 he became a member of the Dutch reformed church and married the year after. According to Houbraken he married the daughter of the painter Jan Wils, who kept him on a short allowance, but to finance his collection of prints he would borrow money from his pupils and colleagues and pay them back from the proceeds of paintings that he didn't tell her about. Around 1650 he travelled to Westphalia with Jacob van Ruisdael, where a dated piece showing Burg Bentheim is recorded. Maybe Berchem went to Italy after this trip and before he moved to Amsterdam - he is not clearly documented in the Netherlands between 1650 and 1656. Around 1660 he worked for the engraver Jan de Visscher designing an atlas. In 1661-1670 he is registered in Amsterdam and in 1670 he moved back to Haarlem, but was living back in Amsterdam by 1677, where he died in 1683. He was a popular teacher and his pupils were Abraham Begeyn, Johannes van der Bent, his son Nicolaes, Isaack Croonenbergh, Simon Dubois, Karel Dujardin, Johannes Glauber, Pieter de Hooch, Jacob van Huchtenburg, Justus van Huysum...

Remembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and captured a great variety of motifs of his time. In this painting of a seemingly simple peasant scene lies keys to understanding both the imaginative mind of Teniers as well as why this time period produced some of the most iconic works in all of art history.  As indicated by the name, Teniers was more or less born into his profession. As the son of David Teniers the elder, himself a painter who studied under Rubens, the younger David received training in art from a very young age and had no less than three brothers who also became painters. Because of his father’s frequent financial failures that even at times saw him imprisoned, David the younger helped to rescue the family from ruin through painting copies of old masters. Essentially, the young Teniers was confronted with painting as both a passion and creative expression as well as a necessity during difficult times, an experience that would shape much of his capacity and sensitivity in his coming life. Despite the hardships, the talent and determination of Teniers was recognized and quickly expanded his possibilities. He had already spent time in France and possibly also England when he was hired by his father’s former teacher Rubens to help with a prestigious commission with mythological paintings, now considered lost, for Philip IV the king Spain. In 1644–54 Teniers was appointed dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, manifesting his esteemed position within the artistic community. A few years afterwards he took an important step when relocating to Brussels, where Teniers yet again found new career opportunities that would prove to be very successful. As the keeper of the collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, a role similar to what we now refer to as an art advisor, Teniers purchased hundreds of important artworks that manifested the prominent status of the Archduke’s collection while at the same time providing an unusual access to inspiration and knowledge for Teniers himself. Since he kept on painting during the same time, his creative scope must have seemed almost bewildering in the great variety of images and stories that he surrounded himself with.  Regardless of how glamorous and culturally stimulating the career of Teniers was, he was as open to the charm and existential importance of everyday life as he was to works of great masters and luxurious collectibles. In his impressive repertoire of genres with everything from exquisite royal portraits, interiors, landscapes and history paintings he always added something new and inventive, highlighting the possibilities of art and importance of an experimental and intuitive mind. It is difficult to single out one aspect or genre to summarize his legacy, since it lies much more in the broad virtuosity across many motifs, although he is particularly remembered for farm scenes and meticulously depicted interiors where other paintings and artworks are captured with an astonishing precision. However, the fact that he is still today one of the most known and celebrated names of the Dutch Golden Age is a proof to the magic of his work, which continues to spark dialogue and wonder in the contemporary viewer of his works. The farm boy in the field in this painting, which likely dates to the mature part of his career, is a wonderful entry into the mind of Teniers. In the tightly cropped motif, we see him standing right in the middle of the busy harvest when men, women and everyone capable were sent out in the field to collect the crop that formed the very core of their diet and survival. In the background we see a fresh blue sky interspersed with skillfully painted clouds, some trees reaching their autumnal colours and in the far distance the glimpse of a small church and village. The presence of a church in a landscape, so typical of Dutch art, served both a symbolic and visual function as a representation of faith while at the same time defining scale and distance. In the field, the work is in full action with the farmers spread out in various positions, all in the midst of hard and sweaty labour. While they are portrayed as having nothing else than the work on their mind, our farm boy seems to have his attention directed elsewhere. Standing there with his white, half open shirt, flowy curls and strong, sturdy body; his gaze is directed away, out of the picture and the scythes in his hands. He looks almost smirking, expressed with tremendous subtlety in the slight smile of his lips and big eyes, being just in the middle of losing focus on the work. What is it that steals his attention? What has he seen, or realized, or felt – to break him free of the arduous task of harvesting, if but for a moment? Here starts the wondering and the questions that are the hallmark of a great piece of art. Instead of explicitly locking in the motif in overly clear symbolism Teniers has chosen an open ended, subtle yet striking moment for us to consider. While it of course can be related to numerous other farm scene depictions of this time, and clever usages of gazes and real-life scenes to underscore various moral or symbolic meanings, the painting can be much more of a contemplation than an explanation or illustration. The ordinary nature and understated yet emotionally textured composition of the motif gives greater space for our own reactions and thoughts. Has he seen a pretty farm girl just passing by? Is he fed up with the farm life, joyously dreaming away for a minute, imagining another future? Or is he simply in need of distraction, looking away and ready for anything that can steal his attention? One quality that never seem to have escaped Teniers was that of curiosity. During all of his career he constantly investigated, expanded and experimented with not only the style and technique of painting, but with the vision of art itself. Being credited with more or less introducing farm motifs for a broader audience not only tells us of his ability to understand the demand for different motifs, but the sensitivity to transform seemingly ordinary parts of life into deep aesthetic experiences, far beyond their expected reach. The farm boy in this painting is, of course, exactly that. But with the help of one smirk the entire picture is charged with a different energy, awakening many contrasts and relationships between the calm landscape, the hard work and his own breach of effectivity, holding sharp scythes while thinking or seeing something else. It is no wonder Teniers chose to work with farm scenes as a way of investigating these intricate and delicate plays on expectations and surprises, clarity and ambivalence. It invites us to an appreciation of human everyday life that connects us with the people of 17th century...

Elegant painting from the second half of the 17th century. Oil on canvas artwork depicting a splendid landscape with grazing animals, of great pictorial quality. In the foreground we...