Dutch School, Circle of Philips Wouwerman
An Equestrian Genre Scene Before an Inn
Late 17th – early 18th century
Oil on canvas
A finely composed Dutch equestrian genre scene depicting mounted figures pausing before a rustic inn, attended by servants and hunting dogs, with a village and church tower receding into a softly atmospheric landscape beyond. The composition is animated by elegant dappled horses, whose refined modeling and alert posture serve as the visual anchors of the scene, while the surrounding figures engage in narrative exchange, lending a sense of movement and daily life.
The artist demonstrates a confident handling of architectural elements and landscape, balancing the solidity of the inn façade with the openness of the wooded foreground and expansive sky. Warm earth tones are offset by cool blue passages in the distance, creating depth and spatial recession characteristic of Northern European painting of the period. The attention to costume, tack, and anecdotal detail reflects the enduring influence of Philips Wouwerman and his circle, whose equestrian subjects were highly sought after by collectors across Europe.
Painted in oil on canvas, the work retains its original character and period surface, with age-appropriate craquelure and a warm, unified tonality consistent with a late 17th- to early 18th-century origin.
Height 8′-3″; Width 32″; Depth 21 1/4″