Landscape with a Scene of the Conquest of America

The painting is dated to 1535, aligning with Jan Mostaert's mature period in Haarlem. During the Second World War it was seized and entered the Hermann Göring Collection, before being recovered and processed at the Munich Central Collecting Point. Following restitution it entered the Rijksmuseum's holdings through the Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit. The work's early provenance, including its original commissioning context, remains undocumented.

This oil painting, titled Landscape with a Scene of the Conquest of America, presents a dynamic outdoor vista. The composition is filled with activity, depicting various figures engaged in hunting and combat amidst a rugged terrain. A prominent rocky hill anchors the center, topped by a small dwelling, while a bright sky with scattered clouds stretches above. The work captures a sense of expansive wilderness populated by both humans and animals.

The painting's style, particularly its detailed outdoor setting and active figures, aligns with artistic trends seen in Northern European landscape painting of the early modern period. Artists like Jan Mostaert were known for their intricate depictions of natural environments populated by narrative elements. This work reflects a broader interest in exotic lands and historical events, as European artists began to visualize and interpret reports from the New World.