A knight's halt, Simon Johannes van Douw (Antwerp circa 1630 – circa 1677) follower of

Simon Johannes van Douw (Antwerp c. 1630 – c. 1677) follower of
The stop of a traveler on horseback near a post station

Oil painting on canvas
cm 45 x 55
In frame cm. 55 x 65

Details of the artwork: https://www.antichitacastelbarco.it/it/prodotti/simon-van-douw–segue-cavaliere-a-riposo

In this pleasant painting, depicting a knight resting near a post office, the Flemish tradition is based on a strong Italian sensibility, especially observing the setting and its peculiar brightness.

The mix of genres and the particular style of execution make it easy to trace the authorship back to a Nordic author but active in Rome, or strongly influenced by the style in vogue in the Eternal City between the 17th and 18th centuries: we are referring, in in particular, to a follower of the Antwerp Simon Johannes van Douw. The chromatic elegance and the refinement with which he outlines the figures are typical aspects of his painting.

The scene takes place outside a farmhouse, probably a post office for travellers, where a modest family divides up the tasks of assisting the knights. We see a young boy giving the horse some water before it sets off again, the father preparing to refresh him with straw and the mother instead taking care of her little son.

The Italian reminiscences, evident in our painting, were absorbed by many Northern European authors such as Nicolaes Berchem, Philips Wouwerman and Johannes Lingelbach, all inspired by the leader Pieter van Laer, documented in Rome from 1625 to 1639 and considered the founder of the current of the children.

It is not known whether Simon Van Douw visited our Peninsula: the few certain biographical data indicate that in 1655 and 1656 he was documented as an independent master in Antwerp, where he probably spent most of his life and with him Carel de Fonteyn trained and Pieter van Bloemen. However, a trip to Italy cannot be ruled out, even if there were many graphic or painted examples that artists could access and draw inspiration from, just think of Philips Wouwerman who owned countless drawings by van Laer.
The painting, in excellent condition, has a professionally relined.

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