(Brussels 1632–1693 Paris)
Elegant figures on horseback and in carriages following a hunt,
oil on canvas, 179 x 374 cm, unframed

Provenance:
Private collection, Milan

The present painting represents an animated hunt in a forest. The scene is of great scenographic impact, a factor that is contributed to by the large scale of the canvas. The hunting of stags was considered the noblest hunt and exclusive prerogative of the aristocracy as the stag was considered the most noble of the forest animals and since the middle ages it bore Christological connotations of meaning.

The present painting is enlivened by many figures both on foot and on horseback, all set in pursuit and flanked by packs of dogs. Indeed, this kind of hunt required the use of dogs, which having sought out the stags, followed them in chase. The present work represents the central, most exciting moment of the hunt.

In the foreground amongst the nobility some women can also be seen galloping on horseback, while at a greater distance in the forest, a carriage and a man on an open cart are depicted. All the participants in this great collective scene are shown with a variety of expressions in a lively and dynamic composition.

The present painting can be compared to the work of the Flemish painter Adam Frans van der Meulen. This artist was principally active in France, at the court of Louis XIV, who he often depicted during military campaigns and conquests. At the court of the Sun King the artist met Charles Le Brun who was to influence his painting.

The compositions of Adam Frans van der Meulen’s are typified by landscapes, animals, hunting scenes, battles, portraits and above all equestrian portraits. They gained considerable acclaim during the seventeenth century.