Hay Harvest

This painting is a later copy after an original painting by the Dutch painter Philips Wouwerman (1619-68), today held in the Royal Collection, London. It is not surprising that this copy was made. The eighteenth century witnessed an explosion in the appreciation of Wouwerman’s works and, with this, an avalanche of prints were created after his paintings which circulated throughout the Netherlands, Germany and France. Imitators after Wouwerman were less concerned with his painting style than with his content: the narrative elements, charming details of humans and animals, and the liveliness of the scenes he skilfully depicted. 

Wouwerman is well-known for his paintings of landscapes, in which horses often occupy a prominent place – as they do in this scene. He was an extremely prolific artist despite dying at the relatively early age of forty-eight. Wouwerman’s paintings were sought after in his lifetime, and he died a venerated artist and a wealthy man. After his death his paintings gained in popularity and were included in many royal and important European collections.