Provenance: Private Collection
Considered as one of the masters of Flemish landscape at the dawn of the 17th century, Adriaen van Stalbempt offers us a slice of life of man in the countryside...
read moreProvenance: Private Collection
Considered as one of the masters of Flemish landscape at the dawn of the 17th century, Adriaen van Stalbempt offers us a slice of life of man in the countryside on a fine winter’s day. Faithful to the tradition of the panoramic rural landscape created by Joachim Patenier, the artist opts for a composition that is simple yet full of poetry. Winter has immersed the village in torpor; the villagers’ efforts to fight off the cold have begun. The scene takes place on the outskirts of the village. Seasonal workers – men and women, young and old – are busy cutting wood. Trees are the subject of their attention, some of which have been felled by the wind and others by an axe. A cart pulled by two horses is awaiting its load, while a woman stoops under the weight of the trunks. Further ahead, two valiant woodcutters have taken on two large trees, while an old man leaning on his stick observes a merry band in the foreground. This small group, composed of three likely lads, heralds the end-of-year celebrations that will bring a moment of joy to the villagers’ daily lives with the ensuing feasts and fancy dress. As our gaze travels across the painting thanks to the staggered planes, it naturally lands upon a luminous horizon. This vast panorama is delicately divided into two parts, the first one evoking the earth and farming activities and the other, the vast clear, translucent sky. The ochre-coloured village is illuminated by the snow-covered rooftops. As though muffled by the snow, not a single noise seems to disturb the hamlet’s tranquillity. The entire scope of Stalbempt’s art is expressed in this delightful painting reminiscent of those by Jan ‘Velvet’ Brueghel: slender trees, staggered planes, and figures scattered here and there. The harmony of the tones, sublimated by the sheen of the covering of snow, gives our painting all its elegance. Besides being an account of a bygone rural life, it is a wonderful example of 17th century Flemish landscape art. The landscape is no longer a décor : thanks to Stalbempt it is a subject in itself as demonstrated by the large painting in Antwerp . Since their creation, snow-covered landscapes have continued to delight art-lovers; this Winter scene can undoubtedly be considered as one of this artist’s most charming examples of landscape painting.
1580 – Antwerp – 1662
The child of protestant parents, Adriaen van Stalbempt spent his youth in Middelburg where his family sought refuge after the capitulation of Antwerp. However, in 1609, he returned to his native town and registered the same year as a master of the Guild of Saint Luke. Attracted by the genre popular at that time, he dedicated himself to landscape, as can be seen in some twenty of his works dating from 1604 to 1629.
In 1632, the artist left Antwerp to go to London for ten months, summoned by King Charles I of England. He seems to have then abandoned all activity and we are still unaware of the reason.
The composition of Stalbempt’s landscapes was often described as eclectic. Some evoke the style of Jan ‘Velvet’ Brueghel. However, several characteristics help to identify his works: in particular, the technique used for foliage and the colour of the houses - light yellow and not pink as in Jan Brueghel's works.
Adriaen van Stalbempt’s highly individual personality is what gives it all its charm. Alongside Abraham Govaerts, he is considered one of the best imitators of Jan ‘Velvet’ Brueghel.
