Artwork
Horsemen
Horsemen is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Frans Soolmaker. It is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Horsemen is a 1657 oil painting by Jan Frans Soolmaker, a Flemish artist of the Dutch Golden Age. The work features three men and their horses in a landscape setting, characterized by a rocky archway, trees, and a clouded sky.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a serene scene of three men interacting with their horses near a natural rock formation. One rider is mounted on a white horse, while another stands beside and a third relaxes against the rocks, accompanied by a resting dog and a grazing horse. The composition conveys a sense of calm, everyday interaction within a natural setting.
Technique & Style
Soolmaker employed soft, nuanced light and shadow (chiaroscuro) to create a quiet, introspective mood. The interplay of light on figures and landscape elements produces contrasting textures, with smooth areas juxtaposed with rough ones, reflecting the influence of Nicolaes Berchem's style.
History & Provenance
Created in 1657, Horsemen is part of Soolmaker's oeuvre of Italianizing landscapes and equestrian themes, produced during his activity in Antwerp, Haarlem, and Amsterdam. The painting is currently held in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst.
Context
Horsemen falls within the 17th-century genre scene tradition, common during the Dutch Golden Age. Soolmaker's work was closely aligned with the style of his contemporary, Nicolaes Berchem, reflecting the broader artistic trends of the time.
Legacy
As part of Soolmaker's contributions to Flemish equestrian and landscape painting, Horsemen contributes to the understanding of mid-17th-century Flemish art practices and the influence of Dutch Golden Age aesthetics on genre scenes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Frans Soolmaker (1635 – after 1665, possibly 1686) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman, mainly known for his Italianizing landscapes, with equestrian and arcadian scenes.
