A rural landscape: moonlight on a winding river, a horse grazing on the river bank. Engraving by S. à Bolswert after Sir P.P. Rubens.

  • Rubens, Peter Paul, 1577-1640.
Date:
[between 1637? and 1659?]
Reference:
2491338i
  • Pictures

About this work

Description

The painting is described by Adler as follows (left and right have to be reversed for the engraving): "The full moon in a starry sky shines out over a bank of cloud and illuminates the flat landscape. A quiet stream winds its way into the distance on the right. It can only be seen clearly as far as the centre of the picture, where some foliage, in the foreground, projects from the right. The stars glitter between the leaves, and the moonlight, like a material emanation, flows to the right between the tree-trunks and extends some way in separate paths along the ground, until everything disappears in the forest shadows at the lower right. The stream, however, which can be seen gleaming between the trees much further to the right, shimmers in intense mineral blue and pure white tones. The moon is yellowish-white, the starry sky greyishviolet. The clouds lit by the moon are yellowish and light green, also raspberry-colour and salmon-pink. The reflection of the moon in the water forms a yellowish-white trail as far as the bank, where the radiance continues in a broad streak of white-greenish light. A bay horse, grazing, is seen obliquely from behind; its form intersects the nearer bank and is partly silhouetted against the water, which sparkles with coloured reflections. The purest blue of the reflection of the sky close to the moon is to the right of the horse’s withers. The trees on the further bank are also reflected on the water’s surface in warm light brown and grey-green. In the foreground to the right of the horse, reddish-brown and red touches glimmer from the transitional area leading to the dark patch on the right. An open shed on the far side of the stream is partly obliterated by the left edge of the picture. ... The present work has always been famous for its pioneering conception of nature. Burchard dated it c. 1637."--Adler, loc. cit.

Publication/Creation

[Antwerp] : Gillis Hendricx excudit, [between 1637? and 1659?]

Physical description

1 print : engraving ; platemark 32 x 45.2 cm

Lettering

Pet. Paul. Rubens pinxit. S. à Bolswert sculpsit

References note

Wolfgang Adler, Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard, vol. XVIII, Landscapes and hunting scenes; part I: Landscapes, London 1982, no. 63 ("Landscape with moon and stars), pp. 172-174 and fig. 146

Reference

Wellcome Collection 2491338i

Reproduction note

After a painting by Rubens in the Courtauld (Institute) Gallery, London--Adler, loc. cit.

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores
    2491338i.1
  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores
    2491338i.2

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