Artwork
Horses
Horses is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Abraham van Calraet. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1700, *Horses* is a panel painting by Dutch artist Abraham van Calraet, whose oeuvre spans still lifes, portraits and landscapes. The composition presents a quiet rural scene in which a young boy, a dog and three horses are gathered beside a stone structure, under a muted sky. The work belongs to the State Hermitage Museum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a boy in dark, worn clothing, holds a rope that secures three horses tied to a post. A small dog rests at his feet, suggesting a moment of calm after work. The varied coloration of the horses—one brown, two white with dark markings—adds visual contrast, while the distant castle hints at a broader landscape beyond the immediate setting.
Technique & Style
Van Calraet employs a restrained palette and careful modeling of light to convey the stillness of the scene. The red cloth draped over the saddles provides a focal accent, and the subtle gradations of tone give the stone building and sky a sense of atmospheric depth. The painting reflects the Dutch Golden Age’s attention to detail and naturalistic representation.
History & Provenance
After its completion at the turn of the 18th century, the panel entered various private collections before being acquired by the State Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display. Documentation traces its ownership through European collectors, confirming its attribution to van Calraet and its consistent identification as a landscape genre work.
Context
*Horses* illustrates the everyday rural life that Dutch painters often recorded during the Golden Age, emphasizing the relationship between humans, animals, and the built environment. The inclusion of a young attendant and a domestic dog reflects contemporary social structures, while the distant castle situates the scene within a broader, perhaps idealized, Dutch countryside.
Artist & collection
Artist
Abraham van Calraet, or Kalraat (7–12 October 1642, Dordrecht – 11 June 1722, Dordrecht) was a Dutch Golden Age still-life, portrait- and landscape painter.
