Barent Graat

Barend Graat (1628-1709) Diana the huntress and her dogs

circa 1650

Barend GRAAT (Amsterdam 1628 – Amsterdam 1709) Diana the Huntress Oil on wood H. 33.5 cm ; L. 44 cm Signed lower right on the stone A discreet painter with respect to history, Baren...

Artist/ School: Italian School, early 18th century The painting is almost certainly from the circle of the Italian Baroque painter known as 'Rosa da Napoli', Jacob Roos (Rome 1682-Na...

Hunting played an essential role in the lives of princes and nobles for centuries. It was no different in the 17th century. Paintings depicting hunting scenes were hung, for example, in the hunting lodges of elites. It should be noted that the upper bourgeoisie also began to show interest in painted hunting scenes during the 17th century. In the Southern Netherlands there were a number of skilled animal painters who produced hunting scenes, including Frans Snijders, Paul De Vos, Jan Roos, Pieter Boel and Jan Fyt. Snijders knew how to render the anatomy of the animals masterfully. Also, he managed to make his animals look intelligent. He let them express a variety of feelings. His colleague, Paul De Vos, seems to have been less familiar with animal anatomy. His animals lack a kind of individuality and psychological expression. The panel shows a boar hunt with dogs. It was a prevalent theme, portrayed by Rubens, Snijders, De Vos and others. Buyers were especially interested in the showdown between animal species. The mental and physical strength appealed to their imagination. The painter of this little work has no solid knowledge of dog breeds. Due to a lack of insight into dogs' bone and muscle structure, he makes them look rather stiff. Mainly the heads have something naïve about them. It cannot be ruled out that the artist of this painting is Jan van Kessel...

In this masterly painting, Francesco de Mura presents the meeting of Erminia and the shepherds, a famous episode taken from the seventh canto of Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered....

This lovely Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to noted Dutch artist Nicholaes Berchem. Painted circa 1665 it is a charming pastoral scene of a shepherd and his animals including sheep, goats, donkey and cows and of course his trusty dog. They are all resting beneath trees while he looks on attentively. The light in the sky and the light and shadows on the animals is beautiful. A really superb example of Dutch Old Master art with great detail. Provenance. Surrey estate. Christies stamp verso. Condition. Oil on canvas, 38 inches by 32 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a complementary gilt frame, 46 inches by 30 inches and in good condition. Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1620-1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and genre pieces. He was a member of the second generation of "Dutch Italianate landscape" painters. These were artists who travelled to Italy, or aspired to, in order to soak up the romanticism of the country, bringing home sketchbooks full of drawings of classical ruins and pastoral imagery. His paintings, of which he produced an immense number, (Hofstede de Groot claimed around 850, although many are misattributed), were in great demand, as were his 80 etchings and 500 drawings. His landscapes, painted in the Italian style of idealized rural scenes, with hills, mountains, cliffs and trees in a golden dawn are sought after. Berchem also painted inspired and attractive human and animal figures (staffage) in works of other artists, like Allaert van Everdingen, Jan Hackaert, Gerrit Dou, Meindert Hobbema and Willem Schellinks. Born in Haarlem, he received instruction from his father Pieter Claesz, and from the painters Jan van Goyen, Pieter de Grebber, Jan Baptist Weenix, Jan Wils and Claes Cornelisz. Moeyaert. According to Houbraken, Carel de Moor told him that Berchem got his name from two words "Berg hem" for "Save him!", an expression used by his fellows in Van Goyen's workshop whenever his father chased him there with the intent to beat him. No trip or Grand Tour by Berchem was documented by Houbraken though he mentioned another story about the "Berg hem!" nickname which came from Berchem's conscription as a sailor; the man in charge of impressment knew him and sent him ashore with the words "Save him!". Today his name is assumed to come from his father's hometown of Berchem, Antwerp. According to the RKD he traveled to Italy with Jan Baptist Weenix, whom he called his cousin, in 1642–5. Works by him are signed both as "CBerghem" and "Berchem". In 1645 he became a member of the Dutch reformed church and married the year after. According to Houbraken he married the daughter of the painter Jan Wils, who kept him on a short allowance, but to finance his collection of prints he would borrow money from his pupils and colleagues and pay them back from the proceeds of paintings that he didn't tell her about. Around 1650 he travelled to Westphalia with Jacob van Ruisdael, where a dated piece showing Burg Bentheim is recorded. Maybe Berchem went to Italy after this trip and before he moved to Amsterdam - he is not clearly documented in the Netherlands between 1650 and 1656. Around 1660 he worked for the engraver Jan de Visscher designing an atlas. In 1661-1670 he is registered in Amsterdam and in 1670 he moved back to Haarlem, but was living back in Amsterdam by 1677, where he died in 1683. He was a popular teacher and his pupils were Abraham Begeyn, Johannes van der Bent, his son Nicolaes, Isaack Croonenbergh, Simon Dubois, Karel Dujardin, Johannes Glauber, Pieter de Hooch, Jacob van Huchtenburg, Justus van Huysum...

Jan van Gool (Dutch, 1685-1763/65) Pastoral Scene, 1719 Oil on panel, 15 x 21 3/4 inches FRAMED: 23 x 29 1/2 (Approx.) Signed and dated at lower left: "J V G...

Domenico Maria Canuti (Bologna 1626 - 1684) Title: Toilet of Venus with Cupids and Satyrs Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 79 x 98 cm - ...

Jacques Muller (Utrecht 1630 - 1680) Signed: 'J. Muller f(ecit).' Pupil of Abraham van Cuylenborch (Utrecht, 1620 - 1658) Diana and the nymphs bathing in a cave Second half of the ...

This superb Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to Pieter Bodding van Laer. Painted circa 1635 during the Dutch Golden Age the composition depicts a number of figures and ani...

Bartolomeo Guidobono (Savona, Italy, 1654 - Turin, Italy, 1709) Title: Bacchanal with Maenads, Satyrs and Nymphs Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 120 x 110 cm - with f...