Winter landscape with the city of Utrecht, Herman Saftleven the Elder (Rotterdam 1609 - Utrecht 1685) workshop

Herman Saftleven the Elder (Rotterdam 1609 - Utrecht 1685) workshop Ice skating in front of the city walls of Utrecht oil on canvas (81 x 65 cm. - framed 105 x 91 cm.) The painting depicts a charming winter landscape, with a view of a city located on the banks of a frozen river where numerous figures animate the canvas, immortalized in their daily lives, indifferent to the harsh climate surrounding them, thus showing us a snapshot of 17th-century popular life. Specifically, it is the city of Utrecht, with the famous Plompetoren, the tall lookout tower that was part of the city's defenses in the Middle Ages (also known as the thieves' tower, as it was also used as a prison), near which we can see the De Vos tower, which no longer exists, while in the background, we admire the spire of the Gothic church of Saint James. It is therefore, besides an artwork of undeniable aesthetic and collectible value, also an important historical document on the old physiognomy of one of the most significant cities in the Netherlands, especially in the era of its great colonial power. Winter settings like ours reached their peak during the Dutch Golden Age, a genuinely attractive pictorial genre, sought after by art collectors of the time, as well as after almost four centuries, by lovers of Flemish painting today. Following in the footsteps of Pieter Brueghel the Elder, who introduced this pictorial genre in the third quarter of the 16th century, a large number of artists active between the late 16th and 17th centuries created their own personal variations on the theme of landscapes immersed in the coldest season. Although based on a real view, the scene appears almost dreamlike, depicting a sort of fairy tale on canvas, invaded by light coming from the horizon that bathes the wide landscape with a very warm, orangey hue, contrasting with the idea of the cold winter. From an attributional point of view, our canvas is attributable to the workshop of the Flemish master Herman Saftleven, creator of river views with castles that made him one of the most famous Dutch artists of the seventeenth century. It is indeed a typical composition of the painter, executed with quality and skill in details, and characterized by pleasant, soft, and delicate coloring. A similar painting is today housed at the Gemaeldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel, Germany, dated 1646 (museum link: https://datenbank.museum-kassel.de/33910/), and our canvas, of similar quality, could plausibly be a version created by the artist or one of his close followers. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The painting is sold complete with a pleasant gilded frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet. We handle and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. Should you wish to see this or other works in person, we will be happy to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you! Contact us for any information or to arrange a visit, we will be happy to answer you. Follow us also on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/