MARTEN RYCKAERT (Antwerp 1587 – Antwerp 1631)
A Wooded River Landscape with Hunters
oil on panel
12¾ x 19½ inches (32.4 x 49.5 cm.)
PROVENANCE
Anonymous sale, Christie’s, London, October 27, 2004, lot 10
Private collector, New York
Dr. Luuk Pijl confirmed this as a work by Marten Ryckaert after viewing the painting
Marten Ryckaert was the son of David Rijckaert I and Catherine Rem. His brother was David Rijckaert II and his nephew was David Rijckaert III. He was a pupil of his father and Tobias Verhaecht. Sometime between 1605 – 1610 he travelled to Italy where he became a follower of Paul Brill, possibly joining his workshop in Rome. In 1611 he became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp. He was further influenced by Jan Brueghel the Elder.[1]
Ryckaert painted Mannerist landscapes as in this example, which employs the traditional use of alternating bands of three colors brown, green and blue.[2] Dominated by the lace-like patterns of the leaves of the trees in dense woods, man as well as beast are rendered diminutive.
By combining elements both within and outside The Netherlands of lowlands, rocky terrain, and a river with waterfalls, the fantasy element of the panel is enhanced.[3]
The painter’s works can be found in the museums of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Florence; Kassel; Liège; London; Madrid; Paris; and Saint Petersburg among others.
[1] Jan de Maere, M. Wabbes, and Jennifer A. Martin (ed.), “Marten Ryckaert” in Illustrated Dictionary of 17th Century Flemish Painters; text volume, La Renaissance du Livre, 1994, pp. 342–343; and Marten Ryckaert on rkd.nl (RKD Explore) website.
[2] E. Melanie Gifford, “Style and Technique in Dutch Landscape Painting in the 1620s” in Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice, The J. Paul Getty Trust, 1995, pp. 140-141.
[3] James A. Welu, “Marten Rijckaert” in The Collector’s Cabinet, Flemish Paintings from New England Private Collections, Worcester Art Museum, 1983, p. 102.