Lot 235: MARTEN RYCKAERT (1587-1631)Mountainous landscape with horse and riding figuresOil on panel, 30 x 40cmMarten Ryckaert was a Flemish landscape painter born in Antwerp in 1587. It is likely that he initially studied under the tutelage of his father

MARTEN RYCKAERT (1587-1631)Mountainous landscape with horse and riding figuresOil on panel, 30 x 40cmMarten Ryckaert was a Flemish landscape painter born in Antwerp in 1587. It is likely that he initially studied under the tutelage of his father and later with fellow artist Tobias Verhaeght. The Italianate style of Ryckaert’s work created the strong assumption that he travelled to Italy in the early 1600s, however no such trip is officially documented. Although Flemish painters did travel to Italy to study from the classical school of landscape painting, this journey was long and arduous. On their return the fruits of these trips were quickly assimilated and adapted by northern artists eager to learn from their Italian counterparts. Paul Bril (1554- 1626), a contemporary of Ryckaert made well documented travels to Rome in the late sixteenth century and eventually settled there for the remainder of his life. Ryckaert made numerous paintings after Bril’s compositions which were imported from Rome to Antwerp or by the medium of print which proved incredibly popular for the dissemination of his work to his native country. In the present composition, the landscape and figures are fully executed in Ryckaert's characteristic manner. Especially the foliage, in which individual leaves are executed in rhythmic patterns of yellowish-green paint, is very typical for the master.Ryckaert enjoyed a prolific career despite the fact that he was handicapped by the loss of his left arm. The circumstances of his disability are unknown but it is very clearly represented by fellow Flemish artist Anthony Van Dyck (1599- 1641) in his striking portrait The painter Marten Ryckaert (c.1631, Prado Museum, Madrid). Painted in the year of Ryckaert’s death, the ageing artist is presented as a wealthy individual dressed in expensive red robes and a fur coat. Van Dyck does not attempt to hide Ryckaert’s lost limb behind folds of drapery, rather his formidable presence in this almost full length portrait, suggests his success in spite of his impairment.

Examined under UV: old repair to a split about an inch ½ from base of frame- over painting in foliage on right hand side- over painting in rockwork- over painting in the edge of the mountainside on the left hand side- figures largely untouched