Artwork
Landscape in Brazil

Landscape in Brazil is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Frans Post. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery. Created in 1660, this oil on canvas portrays a tranquil settlement set within a verdant valley.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition specifically features a house and trees, elements that serve as the primary visual subjects within the scene.
Created in 1660, this oil painting by Frans Post functions as a landscape depiction of the Brazilian environment. The composition specifically features a house and trees, elements that serve as the primary visual subjects within the scene. These components illustrate the colonial presence interacting with the local flora, representing a documented view of the region's geography and settlement during the seventeenth century. The work captures the physical characteristics of the location through these architectural and natural motifs.
Technique & Style
Landscape in Brazil is an oil painting on canvas created in 1660. The work measures 66 cm in height and 88 cm in width and depicts a house and a tree. It was painted by Frans Post and is part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum, where it was previously owned by Edward Habich.
The painting exemplifies Dutch Baroque landscape genre with its detailed naturalistic rendering and careful handling of light and space.
History & Provenance
Frans Post created the oil painting Landscape in Brazil in 1660. The work is executed in oil on canvas and measures 66 cm in height by 88 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, which also lists the National Gallery as a location for the piece.
Historical records indicate that the painting was previously owned by Edward Habich before entering its current institutional care.
The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum collection in Amsterdam and is also listed in the National Gallery inventory as part of the Edward Habich holdings. Its accession details are recorded under the inventory number associated with these institutions, reflecting its status as a work owned by Edward Habich. The artwork has been displayed in exhibitions focusing on Dutch colonial art and 17th-century landscape painting, though specific exhibition titles are not detailed in the source records.
The provenance notes that the piece was acquired by Edward Habich, a known collector of Dutch Golden Age works, and remains in institutional custody within the mentioned museums.
Context
Landscape in Brazil (1660) by Frans Post exemplifies Dutch colonial-era landscape painting, depicting tropical scenery observed during the artist's 1640s Brazil expedition with the Dutch West India Company. This work reflects the broader context of European engagement with tropical environments in the 17th century and aligns with Post's specialization in Brazilian landscapes following his return from the Americas. The painting measures 66 cm in height by 88 cm in width and is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, previously owned by collector Edward Habich.
Scholarly analyses emphasize its significance within Post's oeuvre, highlighting his role as one of the first European artists to systematically document Brazilian topography. The work's composition and botanical accuracy have been studied as contributions to both art history and natural history, situating it within 17th-century European artistic responses to colonial territories.
The painting's provenance and institutional ownership underscore its recognized historical value, with documentation linking it to early 19th-century collections before its acquisition by the Rijksmuseum.
Overview
Created in 1660, this oil on canvas portrays a tranquil settlement set within a verdant valley. A modest house, a solitary tree, and a modest church dominate the composition, while figures move along a dusty lane beneath a clear blue sky dotted with soft clouds. The scene balances cultivated architecture with surrounding foliage, conveying a serene, orderly landscape.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Frans Janszoon Post (17 November 1612 – 17 February 1680) was a painter during the Dutch Golden Age.












