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Landscape with a Herd and Shepherds

Michiel Carree

  • Landscape with a Herd and Shepherds 2
  • Landscape with a Herd and Shepherds 3
Basic information
ID
Ж-3926
Author
Michiel Carree
Name
Landscape with a Herd and Shepherds
Date of creation
1692
Country
Holland
Technique
oil painting
Material
canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
53 x 62
Additionally
Type
painting
Genre
landscape
Plot
Landscape
Provenance
Unknown origin
Exposition
Potocki Palace
Information about author
Author
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 painting is a characteristic example of Michiel Carree's painting style. It depicts a pastoral scene against the background of a landscape with ruins. In the foreground, two shepherdesses are resting. One sits on the ground, and the other stands beside her with her hand on her friend's shoulder. Cows and sheep are sleeping nearby. A dog is sitting in front of the shepherds and looking at them. A large decorative vase is standing on a pedestal behind them. The ruins of an ancient arch can be seen not far away, near a tall tree. A view of the city against a cloudy sky is depicted in the background. The painting was created in 1692 when the artist lived in Amsterdam. Michiel Carree painted several similar pastoral landscapes that could be attributed to the same period of his creativity. The "Landscape with a Ruin and a Herd" pastoral from a private collection, created around 1686, is closest to the Lviv painting. Both works followed the same compositional scheme and have many similar elements, such as a decorative vase or the figure of a shepherdess in a blue dress.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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