(Antwerp 1649-after 1692 Rome)
A townscape in winter with carriages,
riders and townsfolk,
oil on canvas, 123 x 197.5 cm, framed

We are grateful to Ellis Dullaart for her help in the research and cataloguing of this lot.

Captured on a large canvas is a rigidly composed city view be set with delicately rendered figures, horses, carriages and an overall sense of vibrancy. Tall townhouses and a church enclose a snowbound thoroughfare, leading into the distance from the city square in the front of the composition. Here, uncountable figures are variously engaged in conversations, horse-riding or observing other passers-by. The carriage in the front, led by six elegant black horses, emphasises the importance of the city square as a place for arrival and departure. It was the centre of urban life as well as place to see and be seen.

With great attention to detail, the author animates a scene from 17th-century Flemish townscape depicting the typical fashions of the time and enabling the viewer to imagine the chattering of the people, punctuated by the clopping of horses’ hooves. In spite of the hive of activity represented, the painter achieves a balance by covering the busy street with snow, thereby adding a touch of calmness and an almost wistful atmosphere to the otherwise bustling square.

The present painting is the work of an artist from Flanders and was executed at the end of the seventeenth century, roughly in the years 1670-1690. The canvas was probably inspired by the works of the today little-known painter Erasmus de Bie (Antwerp 1629-1675), who was then celebrated for his city views and landscapes.He specialised in compositions of animated landscapes, particularly those of city squares populated with many characters, on foot or on horseback, busy in their daily chores or grouped in parades or processions. Similarly, the artist of the present Winter city landscape with carriages, horsemen and other figures appears to have captured a moment of vibrant everyday life in a small Flemish town.