Artwork
Landscape with Farm
Landscape with Farm is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Cornelis van Dalem. It dates from 1564 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
The painting "Landscape with Farm" by Cornelis van Dalem, created in 1564, is an oil-on-panel artwork held at the Alte Pinakothek.
The painting "Landscape with Farm" by Cornelis van Dalem, created in 1564, is an oil-on-panel artwork held at the Alte Pinakothek. In the foreground, a tree stands prominently, its branches bare and twisted, with a few leaves remaining. To the right, a rustic farmhouse with a thatched roof and a wooden fence is visible.
In the background, the ruins of a large building, possibly a church or castle, are seen. The painting's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and atmosphere. Next, explore the technique of chiaroscuro.
Subject & Meaning
Cornelis van Dalem's Landscape with Farm, executed in 1564, is a landscape painting that depicts a rural scene incorporating architectural ruins. As a work within the landscape genre, the composition integrates natural elements with man-made structures, specifically featuring the ruins noted in its description. The inclusion of these decaying structures alongside the farm setting suggests a thematic exploration of the passage of time and the relationship between human habitation and the natural environment, characteristic of the artist's approach to the subject matter.
Technique & Style
Oil paint applied to a wooden panel creates the painted surface of this work, reflecting standard Renaissance practice of using tempera or oil on panel for detailed landscapes. The handling of brushwork produces a naturalistic yet somewhat idealized terrain, with careful rendering of foliage and topography that emphasizes spatial depth through overlapping forms and atmospheric perspective. Formal elements include a balanced composition anchored by a low horizon line and a muted palette of earth tones, while stylistic qualities reveal the artist’s transition from Netherlandish realism toward a more classical treatment of nature, evident in the simplified architectural ruins that punctuate the background.
History & Provenance
Landscape with Farm was painted by Cornelis van Dalem in 1564 as an oil on panel work. The painting entered the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, Julius Böhler AG, and has been displayed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich since its acquisition.
The work depicts a rural scene with classical ruins and was created during the mid-sixteenth century in the Netherlands, reflecting the artist’s focus on landscape subjects.
Provenance records indicate continuous ownership by the Bavarian State Painting Collections, Julius Böhler AG, with no documented change of ownership prior to its current location.
Landscape with Farm is held by the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany, as part of the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. According to the Wikidata record, the work was previously associated with Julius Böhler AG before entering the museum's holdings. The painting, executed in oil on panel, measures 103.2 cm in height by 127.7 cm in width.
Overview
Cornelis van Dalem’s 1564 oil painting titled Landscape with Farm presents a broad countryside scene anchored by a solitary, gnarled tree in the foreground. To the right a modest thatched farmhouse and a low fence emerge, while distant ruins, perhaps a former church or fortified house, loom on the horizon, lending the composition a layered sense of space.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelis van Dalem (1530/35 – 1573 or 1576) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman active in Antwerp in the middle of the 16th century.
