Follower of Pieter Jans Bout (Brussels, between 1645 and 1719), Landscape with figures

Follower of Pieter Jans Bout (Brussels, between 1645 and 1719) Landscape with figures Oil on panel, 58.5 x 77 cm With frame 70 x 88 cm     Pieter Jans Bout (Brussels, between 1640 and 1658 – 1719) was one of the most prolific Flemish painters, draughtsmen and engravers, also sought after by contemporary painters to complete works as a figure painter. The date of birth of this artist is uncertain: based on the few known facts, it seems to have occurred between 1620 and 1645. Bout's period of activity is believed to have begun in 1664, the year of his first dated work, while it can be considered concluded in 1719, the year of his last dated work. In 1671 he became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Brussels. Starting around 1675 he spent three years in Paris, where he often collaborated with Adriaen Frans Boudewijns, inserting figures into his landscapes. Probably, in addition to France, he also visited Italy. His views fall within the tradition of Jan Brueghel the Younger, also showing similarity to the work of David Teniers the Younger and that of Brussels landscape painters such as Adriaen Frans Boudewyns, Lucas Achtschellinck and Jacques d'Arthois, for whom he also often painted the figures. He mainly painted genre scenes, landscapes, especially seascapes, city views, winter landscapes, ports and beaches, historical subjects and architecture. In support of the attribution of this work to a follower of Pieter Jans Bout, note the five views in private collections in which a similar compositional layout is presented, with ruined manors on the sides and mountains in the background that slope towards the horizon. There is also Pieter Bout's tendency to portray landscapes from a partially raised frontal position, unlike his colleague and collaborator Adriaen Frans Boudewijns (Brussels, 1644 - 1719), who preferred bird's-eye views. Also note the same treatment of skies and clouds, more linear than the jagged and moving backgrounds of Boudewijns.