Painting depicting "View of Rome with a rural scene near ancient ruins, with the Palatine from Via dei Cerchi", a work of high quality executed by PIETER VAN BLOEMEN KNOWN AS "LO STENDARDO" (Antwerp, 1657-1720)
Circa 1690
oil on canvas, 76 x 104 cm, with frame 86 x 112 cm
Private Collection, Rome
Full details at: www.antichitacastelbarco.it
A representative and typical example of Pieter van Bloemen (Antwerp 1657 - 1720), particularly from his time in Rome, this evocative "Rural Scene with Views of Rome" presents a subject he was fond of, which we find elsewhere in his catalog, with similar but varied inventions. It was precisely during his Roman years, from 1687 to 1692, that he reached the pinnacle of his career, achieving flattering success, thanks also to settings with Roman ruins in the background, as confirmed by the presence of several of his works in the main collections of the Roman aristocracy.
As a pendant to the present work, another painting by Van Bloemen is available, of equal dimensions with a similar subject, as well as the same stylistic and compositional characteristics.
This splendid canvas, which is therefore an interesting addition to the catalog of the Flemish master's works, depicts horses and livestock at rest against a backdrop of houses and ancient ruins, in which a view of Rome with the Palatine from Via dei Cerchi can be recognized.
From the foreground, with animals studied and depicted from various angles and a single male figure on the left, the representation develops diagonally with the buildings on the right, where other figures appear: a man with his horse, some patrons sitting at the outdoor table of an inn to whom the innkeeper is bringing a drink.
Pieter is clearly linked to the Flemish idiom, while revealing an Italianizing influence in the type of landscape and stylistic execution. While his brother Jan Frans specialized in pure landscape, of classical inspiration, Pieter combined it with a bambocciante style, favoring rural scenes with ancient ruins as a backdrop for simple daily activities: watering horses, blacksmiths at work, resting travelers at inns, markets.
The interest in animals is evident from their constant presence, including not only horses but also goats, oxen, and curled-up dogs, which here also take center stage, occupying the foreground, according to a compositional scheme quite common in Van Bloemen.
In the vast oeuvre of "Lo Stendardo", which still awaits cataloging, some paintings can be cited that, for their inventiveness and particularly for their Roman settings, show notable affinities with the pair examined here. These include the "Via dei Cerchi" in a private collection, the "Scena campestre" formerly Rospigliosi, the "Cavalli all'abbeveratoio" in a private collection, the "Scena romana con vari animali" formerly Apolloni collection, and the "Campo Vaccino" in the Lille museum, among others, all published in the volume Andrea Busiri Vivi. Scritti d'Arte (U. Bozzi Editore 1990, pp. 71-90).
[GIANCARLO SESTIERI]
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