Follower of Frans Snyders (1579-1657)  “Stag Hunt by a Riv...

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€2,000 - €3,000

Follower of Frans Snyders (1579-1657) 

“Stag Hunt by a River,  c. 1650,” O.O.C., 83.8cms x 132cms   (33” x 52”). (1)

Provenance:  Dating probably from the mid seventeenth century, this painting of a stag hunt depicts a scene of terror taking place within a bucolic landscape. In the foreground, a mounted huntsman and pack of hounds are in close pursuit of a stag. Wild eyed, the unfortunate quarry rears up, with one of the hounds fastening its teeth into its throat. On either side, other hounds racing along, baying and baring their fangs. Mounted on a white horse and wearing a red coat, the huntsman has his arm raised, in readiness to throw a spear. In the right foreground, silhouetted against river and hills, two more hounds are held, close-leashed, by a huntsman, with a horse and rider following. The overall effect is both terrifying and dramatic; with animals and huntsmen in stark contrast with the placid background of water, hills and sky. In the distance, beyond the river and hills, the sky pales from blue to golden yellow, with clouds massed on the horizon. The painting is reminiscent of the work of the Flemish artist Frans Snyders, a pupil of Breughel and assistant to Rubens, whom he helped paint many hunting scenes at Phillip IV’s lodge near Madrid. It is also similar to the work of Paul de Vos (1595-1678), a pupil of Snyders, a painter also noted for his ferocious hunting scenes, and for his manner of elongating the bodies of the animals he depicted.
Dr. Peter Murray, 2024