Old Master painting encompasses all works created from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century. During the medieval period, sacred art dominated, executed in tempera on wood and intended for churches and chapels. These paintings were distinguished by their masterful craftsmanship and extraordinary attention to detail.
Circle of Jan Wijnants, Landscape with Hunters and Travelers by a Lake, oil on panel, Netherlands, 17th century.
Egbert van Heemskerck I (1634 – 1704) – attributed, Scene with Soldiers in a Tavern, oil on canvas, Netherlands, second half of the 17th century.
Egbert van Heemskerck I (1634 Haarlem – 1704 London) – attributed, Scene with Soldiers in a Tavern, oil on canvas, relined on panel, framed.
The painting, created in the second half of the 17th century, depicts an intimate yet expressive genre scene with a satirical-political undertone, set within the austere interior of a 17th-century Dutch tavern. The composition centers on a group of five men intently analyzing a document in the form of a large book spread out on a barrel, which serves as a table.
One of the men wears a distinctive metal soldier's helmet (a cabasset or morion type), while another clearly has a rapier attached to his side. The presence of these props indicates that the protagonists of this scene are not ordinary peasants, but rather soldiers, veterans, or members of a local civic militia (the so-called schutterij). The document they are studying thus gains a military-political context; it could be news from the front (a broadsheet), a mobilization order, a royal decree, or a letter of safe conduct, which they are suspiciously verifying.
The artist masterfully employs caricatured facial features, exposing human flaws and creating an ironic narrative about "armchair strategists" or "weekend soldiers," haphazardly dressed and armed. Egbert van Heemskerck delighted in showcasing this contrast for comedic effect. For the painter, such individuals were a brilliant satirical subject – here is a group of common craftsmen or villagers attempting to impersonate great military strategists. One has donned an old helmet, another has strapped on an oversized weapon, yet their attire and physiognomy betray that they are far from a regular army. Each character represents a different emotional state – from deep concentration and suspicion to violent gesticulation (the figure in the light shirt on the left). The composition relies on contrasting, localized chiaroscuro. Light effectively glides across the texture of the paper, drawing hands and grimaces of the characters from the darkness, and reflecting off the metallic surface of the helmet, showcasing the painter's technical skill.
The reverse side bears traces of old paper ownership or auction labels, which once protected the wood from oxidation but have since crumbled. The condition of the support indicates that the relining process onto period wood was carried out a very long time ago (likely at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries).
Dimensions: 31 cm (width) x 21 cm (height)
Egbert van Heemskerck the Younger (1676–1744), Tavern Scene, oil on canvas, England, after ca. 1695
German-Italian Master, Image from the Cross, oil on board, Western Europe, 16th century.
Giacomo Francesco Cipper – “il Todeschini”, Young man eating from a wooden bowl, oil on canvas, Italy, 1st third of the 18th century
Gillis van Tilborgh (ca. 1625 – ca. 1678) – workshop or circle, Interior of an inn with backgammon players, oil on duplicated canvas, Netherlands, ca. 1650-1670
Govert Camphuysen (1623/1624-1672) – attributed, Landscape with cattle grazing in front of a hut, oil on board
In front of the village thatched hut, sheep, a cow and a goat are grazing. Next to it, a villager is sleeping under a tree. To the left of the composition, a second scene is visible: a man leading a bull over a small bridge over a stream. In the background is a landscape with trees and gentle hills, and the sky occupies a large part of the painting, building the mood of the whole scene. What draws attention is the exquisite way in which the animals are depicted. This was a specialty of Camphuysen, whose work was inspired by the style of Paulus Potter. Warm, earthy colors dominate - browns, ochres, dim greens and broken yellows. The light is soft, diffused, as if in the early morning or towards evening. The sky has shades of gray, beige and soft pink, suggesting changing weather or impending dusk. The contrast between the bright sky on the left and the darker, more saturated part with the cottage on the right gives the image depth and balance.