PIETER GIJSELS (1621–1690)

Oil on oak panel. Expert analysis: Dr. Klaus Ertz, Lingen. These two landscapes were painted by Pieter Gijsels around 1660. This dating is based primarily on the fact that Gijsels was documented in 1650 as a master of the Antwerp Guild. The artist lived generally a solitary life; he was a master of only painting landscapes, but also figurative painting. In addition to Jan Brueghel the Younger, Gijsels is considered one of the most prominent successors of Brueghel the Elder. His paintings often feature the motif of sunlight penetrating the clouds and trees. This dominant component can be observed in these two landscape paintings. His paintings on wood and copper are mostly smaller formats, with a striking bluish-silver, hazy atmosphere that gives landscapes a poetic, almost fairytale-like mood of rural life in the late 17th century. The attribution of these unsigned paintings to Gijsels was made based on the large coloured surfaces, used to display roads and skies, as well as the exceptionally detailed execution, which contributes to Gijsels’ reputation as one of the best miniaturists.