Artwork

Landscape with a Storm

Landscape with a Storm, by Pieter Mulier, oil, 1671
Landscape with a Storm, by Pieter Mulier, oil, 1671

Landscape with a Storm is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter Mulier. It dates from 1671 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1671 by Pieter Mulier II, a Dutch painter who spent much of his career in the Papal States, this oil on canvas depicts a dramatic natural scene. The work belongs to the landscape tradition of the Dutch Golden Age and is part of the State Hermitage Museum’s collection.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents a twilight forest shrouded in storm clouds, through which a river winds beneath a low bridge. A modest castle crowns a hill to the left, while distant mountains rise under a brooding sky. Grazing animals and a few figures, including a man attending a wagon, populate the banks, suggesting everyday life amid an unsettled atmosphere.

Technique & Style

Mulier employs strong contrasts of light and dark, a chiaroscuro effect that heightens the sense of impending weather. The darker foliage is set against a lighter, cloud‑filled sky, guiding the viewer’s gaze deeper into the landscape. The brushwork balances detailed rendering of trees and architecture with broader, atmospheric treatment of sky and distant terrain.

History & Provenance

After its completion in the late 17th century, the painting entered various private collections before being acquired by the State Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display. Its provenance reflects the broader movement of Dutch landscape works into European royal and public collections during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Pieter Mulier

Artist

Pieter Mulier

Cavalier Pietro Tempesta, or Pieter Mulier II (1637 – 29 June 1701) was a Dutch Golden Age painter active in the Papal States.

Hermitage Museum

Museum

Hermitage Museum

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Hermitage Museum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.