Landscape with Wood Gatherers

Wouwerman was the leading Dutch painter of horses during the 17th century. This painting was probably executed relatively early in the artist’s career. At the center is a white horse in the company of a family of humble means. Despite the simplicity of the scene, contrasts of color and motion are at play between the dark horse pulling a carriage up a hillside and the white horse waiting for more sticks to be loaded onto its back. Wouwerman arranged the hillside, horses, and figures to form a diagonal composition, employing a low vantage point to open up more than half of the canvas to the sky and its soft, silvery clouds. These formal and tonal characteristics enhance the emotional and evocative tenor of the painting.