This finely executed oil on canvas painting is a period copy oafter PHilips Wouwerman, the celebrated Dutch Golden Age painter renowned for his equestrian scenes. The composition shows a farrier bending to tend a horse’s hoof before a rustic ruin, while figures animate the foreground and a distant pair of travelers add depth to the horizon.

Though not by Wouwerman himself, the painting demonstrates the close study of his workshop style, with lively figural characterization, a spirited horse, and atmospheric handling of light. Period copies of Wouwerman were widely collected across Europe in the 17th-18th Centuries, often held in distinguished collections.

The painting measures 22" x 18" and overall with gilt frame measures 21 3/8" x 18 1/4".

Provenance:

The reverse of the painting bears remarkable historical markers of institutional custody:

• A red wax seal impressed “Berlin” with a crowned monogram Rx (Rexus), indicating registration in the Royal Museums of Berlin (Königliche Museen zu Berlin)

• A Russian paper label from the State Museum of Fine arts, Moscow (today the Pushkin State Museum), wiht remnants of an inventory number

• Hand-printed numbers and collector’s inscriptions

• A stenciled mark which appears to be related to Christie’s Auction along with yellow chalk markings

These markings confirm the painting once circulated major European museum collections in both Berlin and Moscow, elevating its signficance as an artifact of collecting history.

Condition:

The canvas has been lined, as was the standard practice for institutional conservation in the 19th-20th Centuries. Craquelure and surface age are consistent with an 18th Century or earlier origin. Frame: later gilt wood replacement - mid-20th Century. Overall good condition, colors bright and clean, ready to hang.

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