Northern Painter Active In Italy, Rocky Landscape With Boats, Men And Horses, 17th Century

Northern Painter Active in Italy, Rocky Landscape with Boats, Men and Horses, 17th Century

Oil on wooden panel, with cradling applied in Italy probably during the 1970s–1980s
55.1 × 32 cm
64.4 × 40.6 cm with frame

Fine panel from the first half of the 17th century, still within a late Mannerist spirit, where the landscape is conceived as a learned invention of steep cliffs, water openings and fantastic mountains. The composition belongs to the tradition of Flemish and Dutch painters active in Italy, within that northern landscape language which found particular success in Rome.

The river crossing with small boats derives from a visual culture widely spread through prints, by which the inventions of the great northern landscapists circulated across Europe. In the foreground, men and horses are arranged in the boats with minute precision, while the broad hats, cloaks and character of the small figures reinforce the northern flavour of the scene.

Particularly attractive are the deep blue cloaks, introducing a precious chromatic note within the severe rocky setting. The figures, by a more Italian hand, show a firmer and more sculptural presence, creating an interesting fusion between Flemish landscape invention and Mediterranean figurative culture, with an accent recalling the earliest Bamboccianti.

Good state of conservation.