The Military Camp - Hendrick De Meijer (c. 1620 - Before 1690)
Oil on parquet panel. Dutch school of the 17thcentury, Hendrick de Meijer and workshop circa 1640.
In this vast encampment scene, Hendrick de Meijerdeploys a military composition combining topographical precision andatmospheric poetry. Under a silvery sky, the tents, riders and wagonstents, horsemen and wagons are arranged in a succession of shots that naturallyto a low horizon. In the foreground, a group of riders and seated soldiersand seated soldiers, creating Meijer's signature narrative breathsuspended gestures, quiet conversations, expressive silhouettes that tellthe tumult of war.The relationship with Meijer's youthful work in the Louvrein the Louvre, painted in 1638 (see photos) is immediate: same deepthe same muted palette of bluish greys and ochres, the same diagonal distributionsame diagonal distribution of tents, same silvery sky structured by large clouds andsame way of punctuating the composition with small, autonomous scenes. On closer inspectioncloser, the common thread of the two works becomes obvious: similar anatomyof the horses, the same variety of tortured trees, the same expression of the figuresand a detail that marks the authorship of our painting: the figure with thewith his back to us in the center of the composition is strictly identical to the oneidentical to the one in the Louvre composition (see detail photos).details).In terms of atmosphere, style and organization, our paintingis in the vein of Meijer's great compositions. It offers bothboth a strong decorative presence and a direct proximity to the worksworks. This makes it a piece that is sure to appeal to collectorscollectors sensitive to the narrative landscapes of the Golden Age.
An elegant casseta frame in blackened wood highlights the composition.
Dimensions : 57 x 82.7 cm - 72 x 97 cm with frame
Biography:Hendrick de Meijer (Rotterdam, c. 1620 - before 1690) was a DutchDutch painter of the Golden Age, who established himself as one of the leadingspecialists in large-scale military scenes and lively landscapes. Active inRotterdam in the XVIIᵉ century, he developed an immediately recognizablerecognizable style: low horizons, silvery skies, lively silhouettes and a gentleatmosphere that gives his compositions a very contemporary presence.Close to the aesthetic of Albert Cuyp, Meijer excels in narrativenarrative panoramas, where horsemen, soldiers and tents make up a richbut always legible. His works, now conserved in major institutionsinstitutions, including the Rijksmuseum and the Louvre, are sought-after for theirfor their decorative strength, luminous balance and ability to portraymilitary life with elegance and humanity.
Bibliography:
- Seymour Slive, Dutch Painting 1600-1800, Yale University Press, 1995.
- MariëtWestermann, A Worldly Art: The Dutch Republic 1585-1718, Yale University Press,1996
- PeterC. Sutton, Masters of 17th-Century Dutch Landscape Painting, Museum of FineArts Boston / Abbeville Press, 1987
- SeymourSlive, Dutch Landscape Painting of the Seventeenth Century, Yale UniversityPress, 1989
- JeroenDuindam, The Military in the Dutch Golden Age, Amsterdam University Press, 2016
- Foucart-Walter, Élisabeth (ed.), Foucart,Jacques, Catalogue des peintures flamandes et hollandaises du musée du Louvre,Gallimard / Louvre éditions, 2009
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Catalogue of Paintings,Rijksmuseum Publications
In this vast encampment scene, Hendrick de Meijerdeploys a military composition combining topographical precision andatmospheric poetry. Under a silvery sky, the tents, riders and wagonstents, horsemen and wagons are arranged in a succession of shots that naturallyto a low horizon. In the foreground, a group of riders and seated soldiersand seated soldiers, creating Meijer's signature narrative breathsuspended gestures, quiet conversations, expressive silhouettes that tellthe tumult of war.The relationship with Meijer's youthful work in the Louvrein the Louvre, painted in 1638 (see photos) is immediate: same deepthe same muted palette of bluish greys and ochres, the same diagonal distributionsame diagonal distribution of tents, same silvery sky structured by large clouds andsame way of punctuating the composition with small, autonomous scenes. On closer inspectioncloser, the common thread of the two works becomes obvious: similar anatomyof the horses, the same variety of tortured trees, the same expression of the figuresand a detail that marks the authorship of our painting: the figure with thewith his back to us in the center of the composition is strictly identical to the oneidentical to the one in the Louvre composition (see detail photos).details).In terms of atmosphere, style and organization, our paintingis in the vein of Meijer's great compositions. It offers bothboth a strong decorative presence and a direct proximity to the worksworks. This makes it a piece that is sure to appeal to collectorscollectors sensitive to the narrative landscapes of the Golden Age.
An elegant casseta frame in blackened wood highlights the composition.
Dimensions : 57 x 82.7 cm - 72 x 97 cm with frame
Biography:Hendrick de Meijer (Rotterdam, c. 1620 - before 1690) was a DutchDutch painter of the Golden Age, who established himself as one of the leadingspecialists in large-scale military scenes and lively landscapes. Active inRotterdam in the XVIIᵉ century, he developed an immediately recognizablerecognizable style: low horizons, silvery skies, lively silhouettes and a gentleatmosphere that gives his compositions a very contemporary presence.Close to the aesthetic of Albert Cuyp, Meijer excels in narrativenarrative panoramas, where horsemen, soldiers and tents make up a richbut always legible. His works, now conserved in major institutionsinstitutions, including the Rijksmuseum and the Louvre, are sought-after for theirfor their decorative strength, luminous balance and ability to portraymilitary life with elegance and humanity.
Bibliography:
- Seymour Slive, Dutch Painting 1600-1800, Yale University Press, 1995.
- MariëtWestermann, A Worldly Art: The Dutch Republic 1585-1718, Yale University Press,1996
- PeterC. Sutton, Masters of 17th-Century Dutch Landscape Painting, Museum of FineArts Boston / Abbeville Press, 1987
- SeymourSlive, Dutch Landscape Painting of the Seventeenth Century, Yale UniversityPress, 1989
- JeroenDuindam, The Military in the Dutch Golden Age, Amsterdam University Press, 2016
- Foucart-Walter, Élisabeth (ed.), Foucart,Jacques, Catalogue des peintures flamandes et hollandaises du musée du Louvre,Gallimard / Louvre éditions, 2009
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Catalogue of Paintings,Rijksmuseum Publications
9 200 €
Period: 17th century
Style: Louis 14th, Regency
Condition: Good condition
Material: Oil painting on wood
Width: 97
Height: 72
Reference (ID): 1750882
Availability: In stock
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