Adriaen van Stalbernt (1580–1662)

Oil on canvas. Expert Analysis: Dr. Klaus Ertz, Lingen. The painting was executed by Flemish painter Adriaen von Stalbemt, whose work focused primarily on landscapes combined with religious, mythological, and allegorical scenes. His style can be described as eclectic and was influenced by artists such as Jan Brueghel the Elder and, in his later work, by Hendrick van Balen. His exquisite brushwork and remarkable attention to detail is clearly evident in this piece. The scene depicts a mountain landscape with a wedding coach exiting the deep forest on a path. The coach is overloaded with richly dressed people and musicians and is driven by a single coachman astride one of the two horses. Dominating the scene are the illuminated trees on the righthand corner, which give a powerful impression against the small figures. Against the cool blueish tones of the background, a mill and a village stand out, situated on the banks of a body of water, clearly the destination of the wedding party. Roofs and a church tower can be glimpsed through the branches of the trees. The left-hand side of the middle ground is dominated by a greyish rock against a rosy background.