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Pastoral Scene

Michiel Carree

  • Pastoral Scene 2
  • Pastoral Scene 3
Basic information
ID
Ж-32
Author
Michiel Carree
Name
Pastoral Scene
Technique
oil painting
Material
duplicated canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
74.5 x 102
Additionally
Type
painting
Genre
pastoral landscape
Plot
Landscape
Provenance
Purchased in 1940
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 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

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