Imitator of Hercules Segers, 'A Mountainous Landscape', early 17th century
| Full title | A Mountainous Landscape |
|---|---|
| Artist | Imitator of Hercules Segers |
| Artist dates | 1589/90 - 1633 or later |
| Date made | early 17th century |
| Medium and support | oil on wood |
| Dimensions | 57.8 × 82.2 cm |
| Acquisition credit | Bought, 1928 |
| Inventory number | NG4383 |
| Location | Not on display |
| Collection | Main Collection |
This wild and desolate landscape painting was once attributed to Rembrandt. In 1960, its attribution changed to Hercules Segers, but now it’s considered to be by an imitator of Segers’s imaginative and highly original etchings.
As most of Segers’s are, the landscape is imaginary. The rushing stream and fast-flying clouds give a sense of drama to the scene, but the proportions suggesting the distance between the church on the left and the half-hidden house on the right perhaps seem a little odd.
Swift brushstrokes of browns and ochre stand clear of the oak support in places, leaving a rough surface known as impasto, which gives the rocks substance and texture. Only a touch of red surrounding the tiny church on the plateau in the foreground and in patches of sky brighten the gloomy view.
This wild and desolate landscape painting was once attributed to Rembrandt. In 1960, its attribution changed to Hercules Segers, but now it’s considered to be by an imitator of Segers’s imaginative and highly original etchings.
As most of Segers’s are, the landscape is imaginary. The rushing stream and fast-flying clouds give a sense of drama to the scene but the proportions suggesting the distance between the church on the left and the half-hidden house on the right perhaps seem a little odd.
Swift brushstrokes of browns and ochre stand clear of the oak support in places, leaving a rough surface known as impasto, which gives the rocks substance and texture. Only a touch of red surrounding the tiny church on the plateau in the foreground and in patches of sky brighten the gloomy view.
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