Artwork
Wooded Landscape with Travelers
Wooded Landscape with Travelers is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Jan Brueghel, the elder. It dates from 1610 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower edge, right of center: · BRVEGHEL · 1610 ·
About this work
Technique & Style
The support is a panel, and the medium consists of oil paint applied in the early 17th‑century manner characteristic of Jan Brueghel the Elder.
Executed in oil on a wooden panel, the work is classified as a painting and specifically as a landscape genre. The support is a panel, and the medium consists of oil paint applied in the early 17th‑century manner characteristic of Jan Brueghel the Elder. Contemporary records note the painting’s dimensions as 37 cm in height and 58 cm in width. The composition depicts a wooded scene with travelers, reflecting the detailed naturalistic approach typical of the period.
History & Provenance
Created in 1610 by Jan Brueghel the Elder, this oil on panel painting entered the collection of Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, in Düsseldorf. It passed through inheritance to his brother Karl III Philipp, then to nephew Karl Theodor, and subsequently to Maximilian I Joseph, remaining within the Bavarian Royal Collection in Munich by 1822. By 1838, the work was housed in the Königliche Pinakothek.
In a significant transaction on December 10, 1935, the museum exchanged the painting with dealer Julius Böhler for three works by Bernhard Strigel. Böhler sold it to Galerie Stern in Düsseldorf the following month, where it was acquired by Max Stern. Before September 1938, Stern sold the piece to Richard Friede, who later moved it to New York.
The painting descended to Friede's daughter, Ursula Friede Bamberger, and was sold circa 1992 through Otto Naumann Ltd. and Bernheimer Fine Old Masters. After passing to Marietta Vok in 1995 and a private Italian collection in 2018, it was consigned to the David Koetser Gallery in 2020.
Wooded Landscape with Travelers is held in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it is part of the museum’s collection; the specific inventory or accession number is not given in the available documentation. The painting’s provenance traces a complex series of transfers from the Bavarian royal collection through various owners and dealers, culminating in a 2020 consignment to the David Koetser Gallery in Zurich and a subsequent private sale; earlier it passed through the hands of Max Stern, Ursula Friede Bamberger, and several European and American dealers. Exhibition records are not detailed in the sources consulted.
Context
The work, an oil on panel landscape dated 1610, exemplifies Jan Brueghel the Elder’s mature style, combining meticulous naturalistic detail with a balanced composition that anticipates Baroque sensibilities.
Its early provenance records ownership by the Electors Palatine and later collectors such as Max Stern, illustrating the circulation of Brueghel’s works among aristocratic and commercial circles; subsequent scholarship has examined its role within the artist’s oeuvre and its influence on later landscape painting.
Overview
Jan Brueghel the Elder completed Wooded Landscape with Travelers in 1610, rendering the scene in oil on panel. This painting depicts a bustling thoroughfare winding through a dense forest, populated by numerous figures and animals. It offers a detailed glimpse into early 17th-century travel and the artist's characteristic approach to natural settings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a winding road that cuts through a verdant forest, teeming with activity. A lone rider on horseback guides a procession of travelers, accompanied by various animals, including oxen and horses pulling carts. Beyond the towering trees, distant structures emerge, while a body of water occupies the right side of the canvas, adding depth to the expansive natural setting.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Brueghel the Elder ( BROY-gəl, US also BROO-gəl; Dutch:; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman.
