Adriaen van de Velde

Italianate Landscape with a Couple on a White Horse Asking Directions from a Herdsman

Adriaen van de Velde was the son and brother of the great marine artists Willem van de Velde the Elder and the latter’s son and namesake Willem van de Velde the Younger. It was during the years 1664-1665 that Arcadian landscapes became Adriaen’s favourite subject, generating a wide following in his own day. His present fame largely rests on these works and the present small panel is an excellent example of this genre. Although Van de Velde almost certainly never visited Italy, he effortlessly conjured the Roman campagna with its azure sky and countryfolk. Here, the warmth of a summer late afternoon is palpable.