Artwork
Falconers setting out on a Hunt
Falconers setting out on a Hunt is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Philips Wouwerman. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, reflecting Wouwerman's characteristic loose brushwork and meticulous attention to atmospheric detail.
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, reflecting Wouwerman's characteristic loose brushwork and meticulous attention to atmospheric detail. The composition captures a dynamic moment of falconry within a lush, expansive landscape, employing a diagonal arrangement that guides the viewer's eye across the scene. The handling of light and color demonstrates a mature handling of tonal contrast, with subtle gradations that enhance depth and movement.
These formal qualities align with the Dutch Golden Age's emphasis on naturalistic representation while showcasing the artist's skill in integrating narrative elements within a seemingly spontaneous outdoor setting.
History & Provenance
Philips Wouwerman executed Falconers setting out on a Hunt in 1665 while working in Haarlem. Created as an oil painting on canvas, the work measures 58.3 cm by 69.5 cm. The piece entered the Spanish royal collection, where it was successively owned by Philip V, Charles III, and Ferdinand VII. It is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, having been located at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
Overview
Philips Wouters Wouters, a Dutch painter of the mid‑seventeenth century, completed the oil on canvas titled Falconers Setting Out on a Hunt in 1665. The work belongs to his extensive output of rural and hunting scenes and is presently displayed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
Subject & Meaning
The composition gathers a small party of riders and footmen, each attired in period costume, poised with trained falcons on their arms. All figures and their horses turn toward a common horizon, suggesting the moment just before the commencement of a falconry expedition across the open landscape.
Context
Wouters was a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke and specialized in scenes of hunting, travel, and battle. This work exemplifies the period’s fascination with leisure pursuits of the aristocracy, while also serving as a visual record of contemporary dress, equipment, and the practice of falconry in the Dutch Republic.
Artist & collection
Artist
Philips Wouwerman (also Wouwermans) (24 May 1619 (baptized) – 19 May 1668) was a Dutch painter of hunting, landscape and battle scenes. He became prolific during the Dutch Golden Age and joined the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke.
