Not on display

Rocky landscape with figures and buildings

Oil Painting
early 19th century (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This painting and its likely companion piece, V&A Museum Number 560-1870, date from the early nineteenth century but like many Dutch landscapes of this period, they were inspired by the landscape paintings of the 17th century Dutch Golden Age. The as yet unidentified artist has drawn on romantic Italianate landscapes by artists such as Jan Both. Like this painting, these were characterised by rocky, mountainous landscapes coloured with golden light. Although painting in the 19th century and inspired by the landscapes of the 17th Golden Age, the artist has depicted the figures in 18th century fashions.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleRocky landscape with figures and buildings (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Oil on panel
Brief description
Oil on panel, 'Rocky Landscape with Figures and Buildings', Dutch School, 19th century
Physical description
Oil on Oak panel. Landscape deoicting a tree-topped mound in the centre with three figures walking in the left foreground and buildings in the right background.
Dimensions
  • Estimate height: 27cm
  • Estimate width: 31cm
Dimensions taken from Catalogue of Foreign Paintings, II. 1800-1900, C.M. Kauffmann, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1973
Style
Marks and inscriptions
J.S.K (Lower right)
Credit line
Bequeathed by John M. Parsons
Object history
Bequeathed by John M. Parsons, 1870. Bought by parsons from Read, 2 Feb, 1857.
Historical context
Dutch landscape art reached its zenith during the seventeenth century Dutch Golden Age, when pure landscape painting was pioneered by artists such as Jan van Goyen (1596–1656), Jacob van Ruisdael (1628–1682) and Aelbert Cyup (1620–1691). Dutch landscape painting declined in the eighteenth century in the nineteenth century, Dutch landscape painters turned to the artists of the Golden Age for inspiration.

This painting and its companion piece (560-1870) draw on the traditions of the romantic Italianate landscapes practiced by Golden Age artists such as Jan Both (d.1652) and Nicolaes Berchem (1620–1683). These were characterized by rocky, mountainous landscapes not commonly found in the Dutch region, scattered with ruins and suffused with golden light. Like many Dutch Golden Age landscapes, the compositions of both V&A Museum no. 560-1870 and 561-1870 are based around a low horizon, allowing for an emphasis on the dramatic cloud formations that are typical of the Dutch region.

Although painted in the first half of the nineteenth century and inspired by the landscapes of the Dutch Golden Age, the as yet unidentified painter of this work and its companion piece depicted the figures in eighteenth century dress. The reason for this is unclear.

Both this painting and V&A Museum no. 560-1870 are signed with the initials ‘J.S.K’, while these appear contemporary to the paintings, to date it has not been possible to identify the artist.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This painting and its likely companion piece, V&A Museum Number 560-1870, date from the early nineteenth century but like many Dutch landscapes of this period, they were inspired by the landscape paintings of the 17th century Dutch Golden Age. The as yet unidentified artist has drawn on romantic Italianate landscapes by artists such as Jan Both. Like this painting, these were characterised by rocky, mountainous landscapes coloured with golden light. Although painting in the 19th century and inspired by the landscapes of the 17th Golden Age, the artist has depicted the figures in 18th century fashions.
Associated object
560-1870 (Ensemble)
Bibliographic reference
Kauffmann, C.M., Catalogue of Foreign Paintings, II. 1800-1900, London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1973, p. 34, cat. no. 74.
Collection
Accession number
561-1870

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Record createdApril 11, 2006
Record URL
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