Artwork
Burg am Meer
Burg am Meer is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1650, this oil painting by David Teniers the Younger depicts a tranquil coastal scene. The work is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, where it is displayed among the museum’s Flemish Baroque holdings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a rocky shoreline with a dilapidated stone structure rising behind it. A modest two‑masted boat rests half on the sand, its tangled rigging being attended to by a figure. Nearby, a few individuals are shown walking, standing, or engaged in modest labor along the water’s edge, suggesting everyday activity in a quiet port.
Technique & Style
Teniers employs a subdued palette of browns, grays, and pale sky tones, creating a muted atmosphere. Light falls softly across the scene, producing gentle contrasts that model forms without dramatic chiaroscuro, characteristic of his restrained Flemish landscape approach.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in the 19th century, though earlier ownership records are scarce. Its attribution to Teniers the Younger has been confirmed through stylistic analysis and comparison with his documented oeuvre.
Context
During the mid‑17th century, Flemish artists often rendered coastal and rural subjects that combined genre detail with idealized scenery. Teniers, known primarily for his genre scenes, applied his observational skill to this landscape, reflecting contemporary interest in everyday maritime life.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.
