Artwork
Falconers setting out on a Hunt
Falconers setting out on a Hunt is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Philips Wouwerman. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Philips Wouters Wouters, a Dutch painter of the mid‑seventeenth century, completed the oil on canvas titled *Falconers Setting Out on a Hunt* in 1665. The work belongs to his extensive output of rural and hunting scenes and is presently displayed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
Subject & Meaning
The composition gathers a small party of riders and footmen, each attired in period costume, poised with trained falcons on their arms. All figures and their horses turn toward a common horizon, suggesting the moment just before the commencement of a falconry expedition across the open landscape.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting demonstrates Wouters’ characteristic handling of light and atmosphere, with a muted palette that renders the cloudy sky and distant trees. The rendering of equine anatomy and the intricate detailing of clothing reflect the artist’s skill in combining narrative clarity with a naturalistic landscape backdrop.
History & Provenance
Created during the height of the Dutch Golden Age, the canvas entered the Spanish royal collection before being transferred to the Prado Museum, where it has remained part of the permanent holdings. Its documented ownership traces back to the 18th‑century inventories of the Spanish court.
Context
Wouters was a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke and specialized in scenes of hunting, travel, and battle. This work exemplifies the period’s fascination with leisure pursuits of the aristocracy, while also serving as a visual record of contemporary dress, equipment, and the practice of falconry in the Dutch Republic.
Artist & collection
Artist
Philips Wouwerman (also Wouwermans) (24 May 1619 (baptized) – 19 May 1668) was a Dutch painter of hunting, landscape and battle scenes. He became prolific during the Dutch Golden Age and joined the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke.
