A Forest at Dawn with a Deer Hunt
ca. 1635
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
24 1/4 x 35 1/2 in. (61.5 x 90.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Annenberg Foundation, Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, Michel David-Weill, The Dillon Fund, Henry J. and Drue Heinz Foundation, Lola Kramarsky, Annette de la Renta, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, The Vincent Astor Foundation, and Peter J. Sharp Gifts; special funds, gifts, and other gifts and bequests, by exchange, 1990
Accession Number
1990.196
Tags
Art Historical Context
Peter Paul Rubens, the preeminent Flemish Baroque master, captures the thrill of a deer hunt in *A Forest at Dawn with Deer Hunt* (ca. 1635). This oil on wood panel measuring 24¼ × 35½ inches, depicts a lush forest bathed in the soft, golden light of dawn, hunters on horseback pursue their prey amid dense foliage. Painted during Rubens' later career, when he increasingly turned to landscapes inspired by his countryside estate near Antwerp, the work reflects his passion for the natural world and aristocratic pursuits like hunting. Rubens' dynamic Baroque style shines through in the swirling en...
About the Artist
Peter Paul Rubens · 1577–1640
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) stands as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition and the greatest exponent of Baroque painting's dynamism, vitality, and sensuous exuberance. Born in Siegen, Westphalia, and raised in Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education studying Latin and classical literature before pursuing artistic training under three masters: Tobias Verhaecht, Adam ...