Artwork
Landscape with Hunt of Meleager and Atalanta
Landscape with Hunt of Meleager and Atalanta is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jan Wildens. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. Created around 1650, this oil on canvas presents a wooded hunting scene populated by riders, foot hunters and a flowing river.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1650, this oil on canvas presents a wooded hunting scene populated by riders, foot hunters and a flowing river. The composition is anchored by a prominent central tree that catches a gentle illumination, while the surrounding foliage shifts between verdant greens and autumnal browns, establishing a balanced, naturalistic setting.
Subject & Meaning
The narrative depicts the mythic chase of Meleager and Atalanta, a popular theme in classical literature, reinterpreted here as a lively forest pursuit. Figures on horseback and on foot appear to be tracking a stag or boar, embodying the vigor of the hunt and the interaction between humanity and the wild.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a soft, diffused light that makes the central tree glow, creating a subtle chiaroscuro that models forms and adds depth. Earthy pigments dominate—muted greens, browns, and reds—while the brushwork renders foliage and water with a calm yet dynamic realism characteristic of Flemish Baroque landscape painting.
History & Provenance
The work belongs to the oeuvre of Jan Wildens, a Flemish landscape specialist who frequently collaborated with leading Baroque painters such as Peter Paul Rubens. It entered the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s Flemish Baroque holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Wildens (1586 in Antwerp – 16 October 1653 in Antwerp) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman specializing in landscapes.
