Pieter van Avont (1600-1652), Landscape with Putti 

Peter van Avont (1600-1652)

Landscape with cherubs

Oil on panel, 19,5 x 23 cm

With frame, 40 x 49 cm

Expertise Prof. Didier Bodart

The painting in question, made on wood, depicts a very pleasant scene: a group of plump cupids, arranged to form a sort of circle in the foreground, animates a wooded landscape.

This work, which can be ascribed to the Flemish production of the early seventeenth century, can be traced back to the hand of Pieter van Avont (Malines, 1599 – Deurne, Antwerp, 1652), the most famous exponent of a family of painters active in Malines. Van Avont, admitted to the Malines painters' guild in 1620, moved to Antwerp in 1622, obtaining the right of citizenship in 1631. A pupil of Frans Wouters, he is known above all as a painter of landscapes and figures, as well as an engraver and print dealer. His production favours subjects such as groups of children and scenes from the childhood of Christ, characterised by a feeling of tender grace. His collaboration with other artists was important, including Jan Brueghel the Elder, David Vinckboons, Lucas van Uden, Jan Wildens and Jacques d'Arthois, with whom he created the figures that animate their landscapes.

In van Avont's figures, the influence of masters such as Pieter-Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck can be felt at times; in this work, however, the artist seems to be more inspired by the Flemish tradition of Jan van Balen. The work turns out to be a model for a larger painting in an English collection, first attributed to Rubens' youth, and then appeared on the antiques market as a work by Van Avont. The figures appear to be the same ones depicted in a larger landscape. This is not surprising, as it was Van Avont's usual practice to first paint the details of the figures and then paint the larger paintings. In both works, it is likely to be assumed that the landscapes were painted by a second hand.

Among van Avont's works that are similar to this one, the following deserve mention: "Holy Family in a Landscape" (Ghent, Museum of Fine Arts), "Children's Dance" (Lyon, Museum of Fine Arts) and "Holy Family with Angels" (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), as well as "Holy Family in a Landscape" (Glasgow, Art Gallery).

The painting in question, due to the richness of the chromatic palette and the fineness of the line, constitutes a valuable example of 17th century Flemish painting.