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JAN HACKAERT (1628 Amsterdam - presumably deceased in
Amsterdam after 1685)
Italianate Landscape around 1655
Brown ink, brown and grey wash, 229 x 288 mm
Inscribed on the back: "Jan Hackaert"
The number "29" is written on an old lamination, in addition to an
unidentified collector's stamp (a rectangle with rounded edges).
Provenance: Private collection Saxony
A lavish flora within a wild landscape with rock formations, a river
and mountains evoke a mediterranean atmosphere. Humans, or traces of
human civilization are nonexistent; highly unusual for the time. As
the artist lived in Italy during the 1650s, it is likely the drawing
was executed there. The use of coarse handmade paper, popular in
Italy during that time, is a further indication.
Treetops flooded with light, the contrast between light and shaded
areas make it apparent that a summer day is depicted. A river
flowing diagonally, briefly interrupted by a rapid evokes a baroque
liveliness. The spontaneity of the artist's drawing style indicates
that the drawing was most likely executed in situ
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