21.10.20 - ADDITIONAL RESEARCH - Historical Landscape

    

River Landscape with Horsemen and Peasants, Aelbert Cuyp (1658-1660)

Aelbert Cuyp painted this landscape in 1658-60 using oil on canvas.

The golden light, still water and woodlands make up a scene of tranquil harmony, but when we look closer we see the detail of a young boy pointing to a hunter poised with his gun in the bottom left corner, suggesting an impending disturbance of the quiet, everyday moment. Several of the animals and people are facing away from us towards the path leading to the hazy town that lies beneath the mountainous landscape, giving the painting a sense of direction that guides our eyes through the composition reflecting the journey of the horsemen. The cattle and peasants show that the painting is about society, with a realist take on life in the lower classes. However, the horseman has an elevated status compared to the other people as he rides through the scene on a white horse, a symbol of power. The gun also has this powerful symbolism and creates tension through the dramatic irony of the unsuspecting ducks who are being aimed at.

What I really like about this painting is the natural imagery and small details such as the birds in the sky, buildings in the background and the individually painted leaves that gleam in the warm sunlight. I think it’s also really good piece of storytelling because at first I believed it to be a calm scene, but the more I looked, the more I could envision a chaotic scene unfolding.


‘Clear, soft light illuminates a peaceful landscape, giving a sense that everything is in its place and all’s well with the world. But the rider’s attention is caught by a young lad who seems to point anxiously towards something likely to disturb the tranquillity. Crouched in the bushes on the left, a man aims his gun at the birds on the river.’

www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/aelbert-cuyp

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