De slaande schimmel

About this artwork

outer size: depth 4.3 cm (support incl. frame)

Art Historical Context

Philips Wouwerman’s *De slaande schimmel* (The Rearing Gray) captures a moment of equine energy typical of Dutch Golden Age painting. Created around 1660–1665, the small oil-on-panel work reflects the prosperity and artistic refinement of the seventeenth-century Netherlands, when collectors eagerly sought lively scenes of daily life and the countryside. Wouwerman, celebrated for his masterful horse paintings, frequently placed animals at the center of his compositions, using their movement to animate otherwise peaceful landscapes. Painted on a smooth wooden panel, the medium allowed Wouwerman to render fine details such as the sheen of the horse’s coat and the texture of harness and foliage. His subtle brushwork and delicate handling of light give the scene a sense of immediacy, inviting viewers to feel the tension of the rearing animal. The compact size—roughly 37 by 49 centimeters—suggests it was intended for intimate display in a private home rather than a grand public setting. Today housed in the Rijksmuseum, the painting offers a window into the period’s fascination with nature, status, and the beauty of the animal world. Wouwerman’s ability to combine narrative interest with technical precision helped establish him as one of the most sought-after Dutch artists of his time.

About the Artist

Philips Wouwerman · 1619–1668

Specialized in military and hunting scenes in which horses are prominent. Son of a little known painter in Alkmaar, Paul Joosten Wouwerman. Philips died at the age of 48 reportedly as the result of an accident, having created a large number of landscapes, battle scenes and the elegant life of his time, set in castles, parties, hunting, huntsmen and prized horses.