DOI Artikel:
Benesz, Hanna: Gillis van Coninxloo and his Disciples: three recently attributed landscapes from the National Museum in Warsaw
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18947#0049
existence of the people at the summit of the feudal hierarchy [...] its function
was to create the scenery for pastime, to furnish an opportunity for relaxation,
constituting a separate worlcl of delightful pleasure.”4 This is the projection in
painting of the familiar topos from medieval literaturę: the description of
a delightful place called locus amoenus. At the time our landscape was painted,
the early 163 Os, a locus amoenus depicted this way still possessed an additional
social context: depending on the individual commissioning the work, it could
express the longing and ambition of a new civic stratum, the wealthy and
influential bourgeoisie, striving to reach and equal the aristocracy in the realm
of amusement and decorum. Wealthy patricians already sought to flee from
the tumult and worries of the city, as testified by the names of country
residences such as Sans Souci, Jardin de Paix or Passetemps.10 11
Identification of the author of this landscape with castle was aided by
comparing a facsimile of the signature. Certain typical motifs from a landscape
by Jacąues van der Wyhen,!l in particular the decorative, feather-like bunch
of branches in the top left corner as well as the manner of painting the road,
inspired me to compare the appearance of the signature of this painter (ill. 5
and 6). Comparison of the calligraphy and the characteristic drawing of the
letters of both signatures finally solved the ąuestion of the artist’s identity.
4«
6. Jacąues van
der Wyhen,
signatures facsimile
Jacąues van der Wyhen was born in 158 8 in Amsterdam but of Flemish parents.
He was most probably trained in Coninxloo’s workshop. In spite of the freer
brush, the distinctive features of the master’s style are easily recognised in the
previously described manner of rendering the leaves, branches, and bottoms
of the trees. The picturesąue motif of the broken tree trunk is an obvious sign
of the influence of the older master. Not much morę is known about this artist,
finally identified after so many years; he died in Amsterdam after 1658.
10 Cf. Briels, op. cit., p. 351.
11 Cf. de Maere, Wabbes, op. cit., p. 1307.
43
was to create the scenery for pastime, to furnish an opportunity for relaxation,
constituting a separate worlcl of delightful pleasure.”4 This is the projection in
painting of the familiar topos from medieval literaturę: the description of
a delightful place called locus amoenus. At the time our landscape was painted,
the early 163 Os, a locus amoenus depicted this way still possessed an additional
social context: depending on the individual commissioning the work, it could
express the longing and ambition of a new civic stratum, the wealthy and
influential bourgeoisie, striving to reach and equal the aristocracy in the realm
of amusement and decorum. Wealthy patricians already sought to flee from
the tumult and worries of the city, as testified by the names of country
residences such as Sans Souci, Jardin de Paix or Passetemps.10 11
Identification of the author of this landscape with castle was aided by
comparing a facsimile of the signature. Certain typical motifs from a landscape
by Jacąues van der Wyhen,!l in particular the decorative, feather-like bunch
of branches in the top left corner as well as the manner of painting the road,
inspired me to compare the appearance of the signature of this painter (ill. 5
and 6). Comparison of the calligraphy and the characteristic drawing of the
letters of both signatures finally solved the ąuestion of the artist’s identity.
4«
6. Jacąues van
der Wyhen,
signatures facsimile
Jacąues van der Wyhen was born in 158 8 in Amsterdam but of Flemish parents.
He was most probably trained in Coninxloo’s workshop. In spite of the freer
brush, the distinctive features of the master’s style are easily recognised in the
previously described manner of rendering the leaves, branches, and bottoms
of the trees. The picturesąue motif of the broken tree trunk is an obvious sign
of the influence of the older master. Not much morę is known about this artist,
finally identified after so many years; he died in Amsterdam after 1658.
10 Cf. Briels, op. cit., p. 351.
11 Cf. de Maere, Wabbes, op. cit., p. 1307.
43