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Pastoral Scene

Michiel Carree

Basic information

ID: Ж-32
Author: Michiel Carree
Name: Pastoral Scene
Technique: oil painting
Material: duplicated canvas oil
Dimensions: 74.5 x 102 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: pastoral landscape
Plot: Landscape
Provenance: Purchased in 1940
Exposition: Potocki Palace

Information about author

Author: Michiel Carree
Author in the original: Michiel Carree
Artist's lifetime: 1657–1727
Country: Holland
Biography: Michiel Carree was a Dutch painter who specialised in pastoral landscapes with ruins and woodland views. The artist was born into the family of the painter Franciscus Carree in The Hague. He most likely learned his first lessons in professional skills from his brother, Hendrik Carree, who was also an artist. Subsequently, the master moved to Harlem, where he continued his studies in the studio of Nicolaes Berchem, the renowned landscape painter. After finishing his studies, Michiel Carree returned to The Hague and lived there for some years until moving to Amsterdam in 1686. Following that, the artist travelled to England but could not achieve success in London, so he returned to his native city. Nevertheless, Michiel Carree's works were popular, and Frederick III, King of Prussia, invited him to become a court painter in Berlin. He first settled in Amsterdam after returning from Prussia and later in Alkmaar, where he died. The works of Nicolaes Berchem and Govert van der Leeuw influenced the master's style. Michiel Carree's landscapes followed the same compositional schemes and were complemented with fantastic ruins and idealised figures of shepherds grazing their flocks.

Object description

The artwork is a characteristic example of Michiel Carree's artistic style. The painting's background features a landscape with cloudy skies, ruins, and a stone bridge over a river. In the foreground is a herd of domestic animals (cows, goats, and sheep). The animals are led by a shepherd, accompanied by an idealised figure of a girl carrying a basket of grass. In the background, on the right side of the canvas, two more herds are depicted crossing the bridge.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Pastoral Scene

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