Artwork
Auszug zur Falkenbeize
Auszug zur Falkenbeize is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Carel van Falens. It dates from 1708 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1708, *Auszug zur Falkenbeize* is an oil painting by the Flemish artist Carel van Falens. Executed during the Rococo era, the work illustrates a bustling hunting party preparing for a falconry outing. The composition combines figures, horses, and dogs within a gently rolling landscape, under a sky mottled with clouds.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures a moment of preparation for falconry, a pastime associated with aristocratic leisure. Riders and attendants gather their horses, while dogs stand ready, emphasizing the coordination of man, animal, and sport. The painting conveys the social ritual of the hunt rather than a narrative episode, highlighting status and the disciplined choreography of the participants.
Technique & Style
Van Falens employs a palette of earthy ochres, muted greens, and warm browns, punctuated by brighter highlights on the horses’ tack. Broad, confident brushwork conveys movement, especially in the gesturing figures and the wind‑ruffled foliage. The composition reflects the influence of Philips Wouwerman, with a balanced arrangement of foreground activity and a receding, tree‑lined hill.
History & Provenance
A native of Flanders who spent his career in France, van Falens served as a court painter in Paris and was admitted to the Académie royale. After remaining in private collections for centuries, the painting entered the holdings of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s 18th‑century European holdings.
Context
The work belongs to a broader tradition of equestrian and military genre scenes popular among the French aristocracy in the early 1700s. Van Falens specialized in such subjects, catering to patrons who favored depictions of hunting, cavalry encampments, and the controlled vigor of disciplined outdoor pursuits.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carel van Falens (baptized in Antwerp on 24 November 1683 – Paris, 26 May 1733) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, copyist, art restorer, art dealer and copyist.
