Paul Bril Antwerp circa 1554 - 1626 Rome

This picture is a recent and exciting rediscovery of a unique composition by Paul Bril, one of the most influential Italianate landscape painters of his time.  In addition to being the principe of the Accademia di San Luca (elected head of the Roman painting academy), he was a key figure in the international community of artists living in Rome and helped artists such as Jan Brueghel the Elder obtain commissions. 

This picture was most likely painted after 1605, when Bril's style evolved from his early compositions, to the more refined approach he came to adopt under the influence of artists with whom he became familiar in Rome, such as Annibale Carracci and Elsheimer.  Particularly characteristic of his mature style is his use of gentle swooping diagonals that lead the viewer's eye into the composition.  The figures bear the influence of Jacopo Bassano, whose works Bril could have seen in Roman collections or in the widely disseminated prints after his works.  The composition includes a number of elements that appear in other works by Bril, such as the improvised osteria set up by the ruins on the left. 

This painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Paul Bril's works by Dr. Luuk Pijl.