Artwork
Two young men preparing to go horseback riding
Two young men preparing to go horseback riding is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Cornelis Picolet. It dates from 1664 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
This painting depicts two young men preparing to go horseback riding, set against a backdrop of a landscape with a tree and a building.
This painting depicts two young men preparing to go horseback riding, set against a backdrop of a landscape with a tree and a building. The men are dressed in 17th-century attire, with one holding a sword and the other a horse's reins. A dog is also present in the scene.
The artist has used oil paint to create this work, which is held at the Rijksmuseum. The painting is dated 1664 and is attributed to Cornelis Picolet.
If you're interested in learning more about the artist behind this painting, you can look up Cornelis Picolet.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts two young men in the final preparations for a horseback ride, each engaged in practical tasks around a horse. One figure adjusts the bridle while the other stands beside the animal, creating a scene of leisurely aristocratic activity rather than urgent departure.
The subject belongs to the genre of elite portraiture, where the horse and riding gear function as emblems of noble status and personal virtue. The composition emphasizes youth, refinement, and the ritual of equestrian culture, situating the figures within a broader tradition of seventeenth-century Dutch portraiture that used horseback scenes to convey ideals of character and social standing.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1664, this portrait by Cornelis Picolet is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 68.5 cm in height and 59 cm in width. As a depiction of figures preparing for equestrian activity, the piece utilizes standard oil paint application on a textile support typical of Dutch portraiture from the mid-seventeenth century.
The composition focuses on the subjects and their association with horses, rendered through the artist's handling of the oil medium to capture the scene.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1664 by Cornelis Picolet. It entered the collection of Gijsbert de Clercq before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum as part of the dispersed Rijkscollectie. The work is housed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains on public view.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. According to its collection record, it has been associated with several successive Dutch heritage custodians, including the Dienst Verspreide Rijkscollecties, the Rijksdienst Beeldende Kunst, the Instituut Collectie Nederland, and Zuylen Castle. It was formerly owned by Gijsbert de Clercq before entering the national collection.
No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
Cornelis Picolet’s 1664 oil painting, titled Two Young Men Preparing to Go Horseback Riding, presents a quiet moment before a ride. The work measures a modest size and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it remains on display as an example of mid‑seventeenth‑century Dutch portraiture.
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Artist & collection
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