Who painted Hawking party resting by a fountain?

Hawking party resting by a fountain was painted by Philips Wouwerman in 1660-01-01.

Where can I see Hawking party resting by a fountain?

Hawking party resting by a fountain is held by Detroit Institute of Arts.

What movement is Hawking party resting by a fountain?

Hawking party resting by a fountain is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Hawking party resting by a fountain by Philips Wouwerman (1660)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Philips Wouwerman's Hawking Party Resting by a Fountain depicts a hunting party pausing at a fountain, a recurring subject in his oeuvre.

Philips Wouwerman's Hawking Party Resting by a Fountain depicts a hunting party pausing at a fountain, a recurring subject in his oeuvre. The scene assembles key elements of the hawking tradition: men and women, horses, and a falcon, set within a landscape. The fountain serves as both a literal watering stop for the riders and horses and a compositional anchor, lending the resting party a moment of leisure amid the hunt.

Wouwerman's hawking scenes typically celebrated aristocratic outdoor pursuits, blending genre narrative with landscape. The combination of figures, mounts, and trained bird of prey signals the social status of the participants, while the fountain introduces a classical, pastoral note that frames the halt as an idealized interlude rather than a working expedition.

Technique & Style

The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a medium characteristic of Wouwerman’s practice in the 1660s. Handling is fluid yet precise, with smoothly blended passages in the sky and foliage and more assertive, hatched brushwork defining figures and drapery. The composition balances lively anecdotal detail, riders, horses, and falcons, against a structured landscape that recedes through atmospheric recession toward a central fountain.

Formally, the work exemplifies the Dutch Italianate landscape tradition, combining idealized topography with incidental genre scenes. Figures are rendered with lively, individualized gestures, while the architecture and fountain provide a classical counterpoint to the surrounding naturalism.

History & Provenance

Philips Wouwerman painted Hawking party resting by a fountain in 1660 using oil paint. The artwork subsequently passed through several notable owners. Early provenance includes Pieter Jan Snyers and Willem Lormier, followed by Henrica Cunera Lormier-van Olden.

The painting later entered the collection of William Baillie and then James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale. James Edmund Scripps subsequently owned the work, which is now held by the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The painting is currently held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Its documented provenance includes a series of notable owners prior to entering the museum's collection, among them Pieter Jan Snyers, Willem Lormier, Henrica Cunera Lormier-van Olden, William Baillie, James Lowther (1st Earl of Lonsdale), and James Edmund Scripps.

Legacy

The work's reputation and legacy are anchored in its inclusion in the Detroit Institute of Arts collection, where it remains on public view and has been cited in scholarly discussions of 17th-century Dutch landscape painting. Its provenance, which traces ownership from Philips Wouwerman through a succession of collectors including Pieter Jan Snyers, Willem Lormier, Henrica Cunera Lormier-van Olden, William Baillie, the 1st Earl of Lonsdale, and James Edmund Scripps, illustrates a documented chain of inheritance that has contributed to its scholarly attention. The painting's stylistic influence on later landscape artists is noted in art historical literature, though specific later works directly inspired by it are not detailed in the available sources.

Overview

Philips Wouwerman, a Dutch painter of the mid‑17th century, executed the oil painting Hawking party resting by a fountain in 1660. The work belongs to the Detroit Institute of Arts. It presents a brief pause in a hunting excursion, with riders, horses and a falcon gathered around a modest fountain in an open landscape.

Context

The painting reflects the popularity of falconry and equestrian sport among the Dutch elite in the 17th century. Wouwerman’s work often combined narrative action with landscape, illustrating both the leisure and the skill associated with aristocratic pursuits.

Artist & collection

Artist

Philips Wouwerman

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.