Artwork
Extensive Landscape
Extensive Landscape is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Philips Koninck. It dates from 1666 and is held in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1666, *Extensive Landscape* is an oil on canvas by Dutch painter Philips Koninck, a figure of the mid‑seventeenth‑century Dutch Golden Age. The composition opens onto a wide, open terrain under a cloudy sky, with a modest grouping of trees in the foreground that cast soft shadows across the earth, while gentle hills recede into the distance.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents a tranquil countryside scene, emphasizing the vastness of the natural world. The muted horizon and sparse foliage invite contemplation of the landscape’s quiet dignity, reflecting the period’s interest in portraying the Dutch environment as a source of national pride and serene beauty.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting displays a restrained palette of greens, browns and grays, allowing subtle tonal variations to convey atmospheric depth. Koninck employs delicate brushwork to render the sky’s cloud formations and the soft gradations of light on the ground, creating a textured surface that enhances the sense of calm.
History & Provenance
Born into a family of artisans, Koninck first studied under his brother Jacob before relocating to Amsterdam, where he spent time in Rembrandt’s workshop. *Extensive Landscape* eventually entered the collection of the Scottish National Gallery, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s representation of Dutch Golden Age painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Philips Koninck (5 November 1619 – 4 October 1688), also spelled Philip de Koninck, was a Dutch landscape painter and younger brother of Jacob Koninck.
