Artwork
Italian landscape with soldiers

Italian landscape with soldiers is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Karel Dujardin. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition incorporates soldiers equipped in body armor alongside a horse-drawn wagon, representing the forward element, or front, of a military convoy.
Karel Dujardin’s 1670 landscape painting depicts a martial convoy traveling through an Italianate setting. The composition incorporates soldiers equipped in body armor alongside a horse-drawn wagon, representing the forward element, or front, of a military convoy. Accompanying these martial figures are various animals integral to the scene, including a horse, hound, goat, oxen, and donkey, which emphasize the logistical and pastoral aspects of the journey.
The setting features architectural ruins, situating the convoy within a landscape that evokes the classical past. Through this combination of military personnel, transport animals, and antiquarian scenery, the work represents the intersection of martial movement and the enduring, pastoral Italian countryside.
Technique & Style
Italian landscape with soldiers is executed in oil paint on canvas, a support consistent with the modest dimensions of 46 by 62 centimeters recorded for the work. The painting is classified as a landscape and is described as a copy after Karel Dujardin, indicating that its handling derives from a compositional model by the artist rather than being an autograph original. The medium of oil on canvas allowed for the layered rendering of the varied motifs catalogued in the imagery, including ruins, soldiers in body armor, horses, hounds, goats, oxen, a donkey, and a horse-drawn wagon.
Its small scale and mixed staffage of figures and animals suggest a tightly worked surface suited to detailed landscape passages. No specific condition report is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
Italian landscape with soldiers is an oil-on-canvas painting by Karel Dujardin dated to 1670. The work is recorded as a painting copy after Karel Dujardin, based on a composition titled The front of the convoy. Historical ownership of the painting is traced to Adriaan van der Hoop, a noted Dutch collector.
The canvas subsequently entered the holdings of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is held alongside the Amsterdam Museum collection. The painting measures 46 cm in height by 62 cm in width and depicts a landscape scene incorporating ruins, men, horses, soldiers, body armor, a hound, a goat, oxen, a horse-drawn wagon, and a donkey.
Karel Dujardin's 1670 painting Italian landscape with soldiers is currently held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The work is also associated with the Amsterdam Museum and the collection of Adriaan van der Hoop, having been previously owned by van der Hoop. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the artwork, nor do they record any details regarding its exhibition history.
Overview
Karel Dujardin's "Italian landscape with soldiers," created in 1670, is an oil painting that exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age artist's characteristic Italianate scenes. This work, rooted in the Flemish Baroque tradition, depicts a peaceful rural setting populated by both animals and military figures. It reflects Dujardin's consistent thematic focus and his deep connection to the Italian countryside, a significant influence throughout his artistic career.
Context
Karel Dujardin was a notable Dutch Golden Age painter, recognized for his intimate landscape compositions. His artistic identity was profoundly shaped by his travels to Italy, where he spent significant periods at both the beginning and end of his career. These experiences directly influenced his choice of subject matter, leading to numerous portrayals of the Italian countryside, frequently featuring peasants and various animals.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Karel Dujardin (September 27, 1626 – November 20, 1678) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.

















