Artwork
Hunter with hounds at the edge of a wood
Hunter with hounds at the edge of a wood is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen Cornelisz Beeldemaker. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a hunter accompanied by hounds standing at the fringe of a wooded landscape, a composition typical of 17th‑century Dutch hunting scenes.
The painting shows a hunter accompanied by hounds standing at the fringe of a wooded landscape, a composition typical of 17th‑century Dutch hunting scenes. The figure and his dogs symbolize the controlled pursuit of game and the harmony between man, animal and nature that was valued in the Dutch Republic. Rendered in oil on canvas, the work measures 46 cm by 61 cm and is housed in the Rijksmuseum collection.
Technique & Style
Adriaen Cornelisz Beeldemaker executed Hunter with hounds at the edge of a wood in 1679 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work is classified as a landscape painting, a genre in which the artist depicted natural settings with figures and animals. The physical dimensions of the canvas measure 46 cm in height and 61 cm in width.
As an oil-on-canvas piece from the late 17th century, the work adheres to the material standards of Dutch landscape painting from that period.
History & Provenance
The painting Hunter with hounds at the edge of a wood by Adriaen Cornelisz Beeldemaker is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work was created in 1679 and executed in oil paint on canvas. While the sources confirm the artwork's location within the Rijksmuseum, they do not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Additionally, the available documentation does not list any exhibition history for this landscape painting.
Overview
Adriaen Cornelisz Beeldemaker’s oil painting, Hunter with Hounds at the Edge of a Wood, dates from 1690 and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. The work depicts a solitary hunter standing beside a tree, his staff in hand, while three hounds of differing colour, black and white, brown, and tan, assemble around him. Beyond the figures, a wooded landscape opens toward distant hills under a sky that recedes into the horizon.
Context
Beeldemaker, known for his animal and hunting scenes, worked within a tradition that celebrated rural pursuits and the mastery of nature by humans. The work reflects contemporary interest in depicting everyday activities with realistic detail, aligning with the broader Dutch emphasis on genre scenes that documented daily life and leisure.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen Cornelisz Beeldemaker (1618–1709) was an artist, born in Rotterdam.
