By Simon Johannes van Douw (Antwerp c. 1630 - c. 1677)
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
After Simon Johannes van Douw (Antwerp c. 1630 - c. 1677)
The stop of a traveler on horseback near a post station
Oil painting on canvas
45 x 55 cm
In frame cm. 55 x 65
In this pleasant painting, depicting a knight parked near a post station, the Flemish tradition is based on a strong Italianizing sensitivity, especially by observing the setting and its peculiar brightness.
The mixture of genres and the particular style of execution make it easy to trace the authorship back to a Nordic author but active in Rome, or strongly influenced by the style in vogue in the Eternal city, between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: we are referring, in in particular, to a follower of the Antwerp Simon Johannes van Douw.
The chromatic elegance and refinement with which he outlines the figures are typical aspects of his painting.
The scene takes place outside a cottage, probably a post office for travelers, where a modest family divides the tasks by assisting the knights. We see a young boy who hands water to the horse before he sets off again, the father is preparing to feed him with straw and the mother who instead takes care of the little son.
The Italian reminiscences, evident in our painting, have been absorbed by many Northern European authors such as Nicolaes Berchem, Philips Wouwerman or Johannes Lingelbach, all inspired by the leader Pieter van Laer...
Category
18th Century Old Masters Paintings
