Artwork
Polar bear hunt on the coast of Norway?
Polar bear hunt on the coast of Norway? is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Bonaventura Peeters the Elder. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Its horizontal format and substantial width relative to height are typical of marine painting, a genre in which Bonaventura Peeters the Elder specialized.
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 66 × 142.5 cm. Its horizontal format and substantial width relative to height are typical of marine painting, a genre in which Bonaventura Peeters the Elder specialized. The work was produced in Antwerp in 1650, reflecting the Flemish tradition of detailed seascape and coastal narrative painting. As a marine genre work, it likely depicts dynamic action at sea with careful attention to atmospheric effects, water, and vessel or coastal detail characteristic of Peeters's handling.
History & Provenance
The painting Polar bear hunt on the coast of Norway? was created in Antwerp in 1650 by Bonaventura Peeters the Elder. It is executed in oil paint on canvas and falls within the marine art genre. The work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display.
The painting was produced during Peeters' early period in Antwerp, reflecting his specialization in marine and coastal scenes. Its dimensions measure 66 cm in height by 142.5 cm in width. The work has been part of the Rijksmuseum's holdings since its acquisition, maintaining continuous ownership by the institution.
Context
Bonaventura Peeters the Elder painted Polar bear hunt on the coast of Norway? in 1650, a marine genre work now held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Executed in oil on canvas (66 cm × 142.5 cm), the painting exemplifies Northern European marine art of the mid-17th century and reflects Antwerp as a centre of such production. Scholarship situates it within Peeters' broader oeuvre of seascapes and his influence on later marine painters, though specific critical reception details are not documented in the provided sources.
Overview
Polar bear hunt on the coast of Norway? is a 17th-century oil painting by Bonaventura Peeters the Elder, a Flemish artist known for his marine subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a rugged coastline with people hauling a large animal, possibly a polar bear, onto the shore, alongside anchored ships and a misty sky.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bonaventura Peeters (I) or Bonaventura Peeters the Elder (23 July 1614 – 25 July 1652) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and etcher.
