Artwork
Starting for the Chase
Starting for the Chase is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Philips Wouwerman. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Philips Wouwerman’s 1660 oil on canvas, *Starting for the Chase*, presents a lively equestrian procession moving toward a distant villa. The composition is anchored by a set of stairs that lead upward, guiding the viewer’s eye past riders, on‑foot figures, and a small child perched on a stone wall, all situated near a river and a solitary tall tree.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of coordinated travel, likely a hunting party or social outing, as a woman in a blue dress rides a white horse while other riders, hats tipped and staffs in hand, follow the same direction. The inclusion of a child and the villa in the background suggests a narrative of leisure and status within a rural landscape.
Technique & Style
Wouwerman renders the musculature and sheen of the horses with meticulous brushwork, allowing light to play across their coats and convey a sense of motion. The palette balances earthy tones with brighter accents, such as the rider’s blue dress, while the layered foliage and architectural elements create depth typical of Dutch Golden Age landscape painting.
History & Provenance
A member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke, Wouwerman produced a large body of work featuring hunting and battle scenes. *Starting for the Chase* entered the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of 17th‑century Dutch art.
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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.
