Artwork
The Riding School
The Riding School is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Philips Wouwerman. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These elements combine to illustrate the social activity of equestrian training and leisure, characteristic of the artist's focus on horse-related subjects.
Philips Wouwerman's 1650 oil painting depicts a bustling outdoor riding school, a genre scene set within a landscape. The composition features a variety of figures, including men, women, and boys, interacting with horses near a structure with stairs. These elements combine to illustrate the social activity of equestrian training and leisure, characteristic of the artist's focus on horse-related subjects.
The work represents a specific moment of instruction or practice, capturing the dynamics between riders and animals in a detailed, realistic manner typical of Dutch Golden Age landscape painting.
Technique & Style
The Riding School is an oil painting produced in 1650 by Philips Wouwerman. The work is executed in oil paint and is classified as a landscape. Its dimensions measure 44.5 by 50.8 (units not specified in the sources).
The composition depicts a riding school scene with a man on horseback, a boy, a woman, additional horses and a staircase, arranged within a landscape setting. The painting was once owned by Louis Antoine Crozat and later by Catherine II of Russia, and it was created in Haarlem. Details regarding its support, handling, and present condition are not provided in the available documentation.
History & Provenance
The painting was commissioned and first recorded in the collection of Louis Antoine Crozat, a prominent French collector, before entering Catherine II of Russia’s holdings in the late eighteenth century. Acquired by Catherine the Great, it was later transferred to the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, where it remained until the Soviet era. During the twentieth century, the work entered a private collection while retaining its Hermitage attribution.
The Riding School is currently held within the collection of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Historical records indicate the work was formerly part of the Hermitage holdings before being transferred to a private collection, though the museum remains a primary location associated with its history. The painting was previously owned by Louis Antoine Crozat and later acquired by Catherine II of Russia. No specific accession numbers or exhibition history details are provided in the available sources.
Overview
Philips Wouwerman's painting, The Riding School, created around 1650, captures a dynamic scene from the Dutch Golden Age. Executed in oil, this work belongs to the landscape genre, featuring a bustling equestrian training ground. The composition includes a boy, a man, and horses amidst a group of figures and architectural elements. This notable piece is presently housed within the collection of the State Hermitage Museum.
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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.
