Flemish painting from the 17th century, hunting scene

Flemish school of the mid-17th century. Oil on canvas artwork depicting a splendid hunting scene. On the right is a group of characters dressed in the 17th-century fashion of Northern Europe. The men are standing with their horses and dogs; one of them points towards the valley, while another plays a horn, used as a call signal during hunting trips. In the foreground on the left another character sits on the ground, with his back to the observer, in the company of two other dogs. The scene takes place outdoors, in a rocky setting and the landscape opens out towards a valley, beyond which the horizon is lost among mountain reliefs in blue tones thanks to the technique of aerial perspective. The chromatic palette of the canvas is characterised by brown tones; a ray of light places the accent on the group on the right, where a small dog and the piebald steed on which a man with a red coat is riding stand out in the light, the only saturated and decisive colour on the canvas. Painting of remarkable pictorial quality, the quick brush strokes used by the author of the painting give freshness and immediacy to the image, very pleasant for its well-balanced brightness. It has a signature on the lower right that is difficult to decipher (see photo), currently being studied. Stylistically, the painting can be traced back to the hand of a painter active around the middle of the 17th century in Holland, in the circle of Philips Wouwerman (1619 – 1668), a famous Dutch painter and designer of the Golden Age, lacking authentication. Strongly influenced by Pieter van Laer, Wouwerman was an eclectic painter; he devoted himself to genre painting, with which he mainly depicted lower-class subjects in rural settings, and landscapes, in particular city views, historical subjects, seascapes and architecture. Elegant 19th century frame in finely carved and gilded wood, with some signs of aging. Painting already restored with relining, replacement of the frame and repainting of the color in some small spots. Overall in excellent condition. Sight size H 49 x W 57 cm.