Philips Wouverman Paintings

Philips Wouwerman was a Dutch painter, born in Haarlem in the Netherlands in 1619. He was one of the most versatile and prolific artists of the Dutch Golden Age, and his work is notable for its high level of skill in depicting horses, landscapes, and scenes of everyday life. Wouwerman is often recognized for his dynamic compositions, attention to detail, and his ability to capture the fluid movement of horses, which were a predominant feature in his oeuvre.

Wouwerman was born into an artistic family; his father, Pouwels Joosten Wouwerman, was a painter as well. Philips began his artistic training with his father and later apprenticed under the landscape painter Pieter Verbeeck. He also was influenced by the works of Pieter van Laer, an artist known for his ‘bamboccianti’ scenes depicting everyday life in Rome, and it's believed that Wouwerman may have visited Italy, although there is no definitive record of such a journey.

Throughout his career, Wouwerman produced a vast number of paintings. His works often depicted cavalry and military skirmishes, hunting parties, and market and stable scenes. He was especially adept at portraying various breeds and types of horses, which he often included in his landscape settings. Wouwerman's paintings are characterized by their lively execution, nuanced colors, and the clear, radiant atmosphere. His ability to depict textures, from shiny armor to fluffy clouds, added a tactile quality to his work that was much admired by collectors and other artists alike.

Wouwerman became a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke in 1640, and he quickly established himself as a leading figure in the city's artistic community. His success is evidenced by the high demand for his paintings and the fact that he had several pupils and followers. Despite the popularity of his work, very few of his drawings have survived, making it difficult to study his preparatory process.

He remained active in Haarlem throughout his career and died there in 1668. After his death, Wouwerman's reputation continued to grow, and his works were highly sought after by collectors throughout Europe. Today, Philips Wouwerman is remembered as a master of Dutch painting, and his works can be found in major museums worldwide, including the Louvre in Paris, the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.