304 - 17TH-CENTURY FRANCO-FLEMISH SCHOOL - Hunting Scene on Horseback with Riders and Dogs

17TH-CENTURY FRANCO-FLEMISH SCHOOL - Hunting Scene on Horseback with Riders and Dogs Oil on panel. Dimensions: 45 × 68 cm. Dimensions with frame: 62 × 85 cm. This genre painting depicts a lively equestrian hunt in a rural landscape, following the Flemish Baroque pictorial tradition. The composition features several mounted figures, accompanied by servants and hunting dogs, arranged in different planes that lend depth and dynamism to the scene. In the center, a rider in a bright red coat stands out, mounted on a dark horse and depicted raising one arm, possibly signaling to the other participants. To his left is another gentleman on a chestnut-colored horse, while on the far left, a figure wearing a striking headdress of white feathers holds a small object. In the foreground, a white horse with carefully modeled musculature occupies a prominent position, alongside several figures on foot who appear to be participating in the preparations or the hunt itself. On the right side, other horsemen advance into the background, accompanied by several hunting dogs depicted in full motion; their elongated silhouettes and dynamic poses reinforce the sense of activity. The landscape is composed of alternating dark wooded areas, bluish hills, and broad expanses of land, all beneath a luminous sky of grayish and ochre hues. The color palette combines earthy browns, deep greens, muted blues, and reddish accents—particularly visible in the figures’ clothing—creating contrasts that visually organize the scene. The brushwork—relatively loose in the treatment of the landscape and more precise in the depiction of the figures and animals—reflects the characteristic techniques of 17th-century Flemish genre painting. The work exhibits stylistic and compositional affinities with the work of Philips Wouwerman (Haarlem, 1619–1668), a prominent Dutch painter who specialized in equestrian scenes, hunts, military encampments, and landscapes enlivened by ...