(Antwerp 1627–1703 London)
Two shepherdesses with their flock resting by a river,
oil on canvas, 67.5 x 58.2 cm, framed

Jan Siberechts was named after his father, who was a sculptor. In 1648/49 he became master of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp. A typical theme of his works was the simple country life. The white, red and green tones of the clothing of the female peasants he liked to depict contrast with the green and brown shades of his quiet landscapes. In this concentration Siberechts created memorable studies of country life. The quiet, almost melancholy atmosphere of his works distinguish him from his contemporaries, who in most cases depicted the life of peasants with a humorous note. In the present painting he uses a watercourse or a pond, near which two women rest, in order to represent the interplay of wind, light, shade and the reflection on the water surface. This motif constantly recurs in his oeuvre. Paintings very similar to the present work are preserved at the Szepmüvészeti Museum in Budapest, the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen and the Museum voor Schoone Kunsten in Antwerp. All these paintings share the same mild atmosphere and a use of light to blend foreground and background. George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, was so impressed by Siberechts’ works that he brought him to England from Antwerp in 1670, where the artist soon became the favourite of the aristocracy. During that time he painted numerous views of English castles and country estates, which constitute his second main body of works. His “View of Nottingham and the Trent” (Coll. Lord Middleton, Birdsall House, Yorkshire) is considered the first autonomous landscape painting created in Great Britain. Scholars hence regard Siberechts as the founder of English landscape painting.

Additional pictures:
Siberechts: Die Wasserträgerin, Antwerpen, Musées Royaux, inv. Nr. 886
Siberechts: Bauersfrauen an der Furt, Öl auf Leinwand 64 x 54 cm, Berlin, Gemäldegalerie

Jan Siberechts was the son of a homonimous sculptor. In 1648/49 he became master of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp. Theme of his works was the simple country life. The white, red and green tones of the clothing of the female peasants he liked to depic