A Hay Cart on a Village Road

In the manner of Philips Wouwerman (1619-1668)

First half of the 19th c. Oil on wood

Johannes Mikkel, the previous owner of the painting, considered it to be an early work (1630s) by the famous 17th-century Dutch landscape painter Philips Wouwerman. The monogram PhLSW can be seen on the bridge pillar in the lower part of the painting, and it is part of the original layer of paint. However, there is reason to believe that the painting is a forgery from the second half of the 18th century or the first half of the 19th century.
The painting combines various Wouwerman-like motifs, such as the group of figures, which can also be found in Wouwerman’s picture “Journey Back from the Market” (ca 1655). Sir Robert Strange printed a reproduction of the latter in the 1760s. The print has obviously served as the actual model for the painting in the Mikkel collection, because the group of figures – the people riding an old white horse home from the fair and the dog accompanying them – is positioned identically to the engraving but in reverse compared to the painting.

Philips Wouwerman’s art enjoyed success among art lovers for a long time. In the 17th century his paintings were known mainly among Dutch viewers, but the second quarter of the 18th century brought him posthumous international success, which lasted well into the 19th century.