A Late 17th Century Flemish Pastoral Landscape

A late 17th century pastoral landscape, depicting grazing cattle, sheep and a goat before a distant view of figures, a pond and a church spire.

This North European painting is by an unknown follower of the School of Nicholaas Berchem (also known as Nicolaes or Claes Berchem). Berchem was probably born in 1620 in Haarlem. He came in contact with painting at an early age, as his father, Pieter Klaasze was also a painter, albeit an average one. It was important to his father that his son received a good education. In addition to his father, he was taught by Jan van Goyen, Klaas Moyaert, Pieter Fransz de Grebber, Jan Baptist Weenix and Jan Wils. Most of his life, Nicholaas Berchem lived on Bentheim castle in the countryside and his output shows in detail, an intimate understanding of animals.

After studying in Italy, Berchem produced many landscapes in warm colours in the Italian style. He also painted cityscapes and winter and pastoral scenes, all in the tradition of Dutch Naturalism, enlivened by vivid colours and glowing light. Among art historians, Berchem is known to be one of the most important exponents of the foreign, Italienate genre of Dutch landscape painting in the 17th century. His prolific productivity made Berchem one of the few well-paid painters of his time.

His finest pictures are at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Hermitage, St. Petersburg.