Artwork

Group portrait of a young woman and two boys, dressed as hunters, in a landscape

Group portrait of a young woman and two boys, dressed as hunters, in a landscape is an oil painting. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. This oil painting presents a group portrait featuring a young woman and two boys situated in an outdoor setting, possibly a garden or park.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting presents a young woman accompanied by two boys, all costumed as hunters and arranged within a landscape setting.

The painting presents a young woman accompanied by two boys, all costumed as hunters and arranged within a landscape setting. The figures are equipped with hunting implements, including a firearm and a bow, signaling their participation in the chase as a staged, allegorical theme rather than a literal outing. By dressing the sitters in hunter's attire, the artist evokes the aristocratic tradition of the hunt as a marker of status, leisure, and refinement, while the inclusion of a young woman alongside the boys suggests themes of companionship, lineage, or the passing of courtly skills between generations. The pastoral landscape backdrop reinforces the idealized mood characteristic of Dutch portraiture of the period.

Technique & Style

Created in 1670, this work is an oil painting executed on canvas. The piece measures 108 cm in height and 165 cm in width. As a portrait genre painting, it depicts a young woman accompanied by two boys, all dressed as hunters within a landscape setting.

The composition includes specific attributes such as firearms and a bow held by the figures. The work is attributed to a follower of Nicolaes Maes.

Overview

This oil painting presents a group portrait featuring a young woman and two boys situated in an outdoor setting, possibly a garden or park. The subjects are depicted in attire suggestive of a hunting excursion, complete with game birds and a small dog. The background includes indistinct architectural elements and foliage, framing the youthful figures who are the central focus of the composition.