Kerstiaen de Keuninck the Elder

The actual painting is warmer and slightly less blue in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The single panel is bevelled on the upper and right sides, and very lightly bevelled on the lower and left sides. The panel is slightly bowed. The paint surface has grown slightly thin in the background, but otherwise, seems to be in good condition. There is a thin horizontal surface scratch of approx. 15 cm. in the lower left corner and there are some paint losses along the lower and right edges. Small retouchings can be observed in the mountains in the background, in the sky upper right, in the rocks centre right, and in the figures lower left. The paint surface is covered with a slightly dirty layer of varnish. Inspection under ultra violet light confirms the aforementioned retouchings and reveals a thin vertical retouched scratch of approx. 10 cm. along the left edge. Inspection under UV-light, furthermore, reveals that the varnish layer has been unevenly cleaned. Offered in a later plain wood frame with gilt parcels, in good condition. (MW)
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This work possesses the typical characteristics of De Keuninck's alpine landscapes: a diagonally receding extensive mountain landscape with imposing rock formations and a gradual progress from the brown-yellow tones of the foreground to the blue-greenish tones in the background, closely following the principles of atmospheric perspective. Compare for example, the signed Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. no.1983.452).¹ In his imaginary landscapes De Keuninck explores the dramatic pictorial effects of nature. Here the artist contrasts the rays of sun with falling water and the dark shadows cast by monumental rocks with the brightly illuminated sky. Analogous to the New York picture, the landscape is treated as an independent subject, only herdsmen feature as staffage figures, contrary to the majority of his alpine landscapes in which biblical or mythological figures have been added.

1. See H. Devisscher, Kerstiaen de Keuninck, 1560-1633, Freren 1987, p. 147, cat. no. A7, reproduced p. 148.