Artwork
En harejagt
En harejagt is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Johann Salomon Wahl. It dates from 1734 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Completed in 1734 by Johann Salomon Wahl, a German painter employed as a court artist in Denmark, *En harejagt* is a Rococo‑style oil work now in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst. The canvas presents a lively hunting episode, a theme that recurs throughout Wahl’s court commissions.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows riders on horseback accompanied by hunting dogs moving through a wooded landscape. The figures are engaged in the pursuit of game, reflecting the aristocratic pastime of the era and the social status of the patronage that supported Wahl’s work.
Technique & Style
Wahl employs chiaroscuro to model the figures and terrain, using a pronounced light source that casts deep shadows and highlights to suggest volume and distance. The delicate brushwork and pastel palette align the piece with the ornamental elegance typical of Rococo painting.
History & Provenance
After its creation for a Danish court patron, the painting entered the national collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces a straightforward path from royal commission to public museum holdings.
Context
Hunting scenes were a popular genre among court painters in the early eighteenth century, serving both decorative and symbolic functions. Wahl’s depiction fits within this tradition, illustrating the leisure pursuits of the nobility while showcasing the artist’s skill in rendering movement and atmosphere.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johann Salomon Wahl (1689, Chemnitz, Electorate of Saxony – 5 December 1765, Copenhagen) was a German artist who became a court painter in Denmark.
