This early 19th-century Dutch school oil painting depicts a family travelling along a country track in a wooded area. The figures are dressed in 17th-century Dutch or Flemish attire.

During the 17th century, flourishing Dutch cities, such as Amsterdam and Haarlem, were alive with new wealth. Merchants flooded in from overseas and created a buoyant economy perfect for the arts. But unlike many other European cities, artists working here were not constrained by the wishes of the Catholic Church - hence the emergence of secular art, such as landscapes depicting everyday rural life.

The Golden Age of Dutch art set the benchmark for centuries to come and formed an integral part of a budding artist’s tuition well into the 20th century. As you can imagine, this impressive period of creative endeavour inspired the proceeding Dutch artists of the 18th and 19th centuries who continued to work in this popular style to satisfy demand.

This painting is a result of that. Produced in around 1800, it’s modelled on the earlier works of the Dutch Golden Age, particularly those of artists working in a ‘naturalist’ style e.g. capturing nature without over-embellishment. One that particularly resonates is Meindert Hobbema (1638-1709) whose rugged works convey far-reaching views with an earthy richness and vigour.

The painting is held within a later Rococo revival frame.

Learn more about Meindert Hobbema in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 34” x 27” / 87cm x 69cm
Year of creation: c. 1800
Condition: Craquelure but the paint is stable. Overpaint. Could be cleaned if preferred. Canvas relined.