Dune Landscape
by MOLYN, Pieter de, Oil on panel, 41 x 58 cm
Pieter Molyn was one of the key figures in the so-called ‘tonal phase’ of Haarlem landscape painting. These landscapes were characterized by the simplicity of their subject matter, with the emphasis on realism, and were executed with a broad handling of the paint, the palette restricted to dull yellows, browns and greens. This important phase in the development of Netherlandish landscape painting began circa 1626 and continued throughout the 1630s.
The present painting, a typical early tonal work by Molyn, shows a dune landscape with travellers resting, extensive flatlands beyond.