Attributed to Peeter Van Bloemen

Attributed to PEETER VAN BLOEMEN (Antwerp, 1657- 1720 ).
"Costumbrist scenes".
Oil on canvas.
Presents restorations.
Measurements: 73 x 98 cm (x2); 87 x 112 cm (frames, x2).
These oils on canvas recreate with liveliness and dynamism scenes of everyday life, executed in a style that clearly refers to the work of Peeter van Bloemen, one of the main exponents of the Flemish animated landscape of the late Baroque. The compositions take place in urban settings and are populated by popular characters, animals and buildings that give the scenes a nostalgic and picturesque atmosphere.
Each canvas presents a careful compositional organization, where the landscape acts not only as a background but also as a narrative element. In this framework, the protagonists, peasants, shepherds, hawkers, etc., develop daily actions: they rest, trade, converse or prepare for the march, in a succession of minor scenes that, nevertheless, breathe a theatrical and scenographic sense characteristic of the baroque language.
The works present similarities with the painting of Peeter van Bloemen, also known by his nickname Standaart or Stendardo, was an outstanding Flemish painter of the Baroque period, specialized in Italianate landscapes animated with equestrian scenes, within a late Baroque sensibility. The elder brother of the painters Jan Frans and Norbert van Bloemen, he was the most outstanding member of this prolific family of artists.
He began his training in Antwerp as a disciple of Simon Johannes van Douw in 1667, and in 1673 he was already a registered master in the guild of St. Luke in his native city. However, his career soon took a decisive turn: attracted by Italian culture and the Roman landscape tradition, he moved to Rome in 1674, where he would remain, except for brief interruptions, until 1693. During his stay in the Eternal City, he joined the well-known group of Nordic artists the Bentvueghels, among whom he was known by the nickname Standaart. In 1684 he interrupted his Roman residence to travel to Lyon, in the company of other Dutch painters, returning shortly afterwards to Italy.
On his definitive return to Antwerp in 1694, Pieter was appointed dean of the guild of St. Luke in 1699, confirming the prestige he had achieved in his native city. His artistic production, very prolific, focused on animated landscapes, both rural and urban, in which he included popular scenes, classical ruins and, with special emphasis, horses and riders, elements that often occupy a principal place in the composition. His skill in equestrian representation links him directly to the tradition of Philips Wouwerman and Peter van der Lint, who also exalted horsemanship as an autonomous pictorial motif, apart from the traditional battle scenes.
Unlike his brother Jan Frans, more attached to classical idealism, Pieter showed a preference for a more earthly and dramatic vision, incorporating a typically late-baroque pathos. He also engaged in collaborations, especially with Jan Frans, in whose landscapes he often took charge of the human and animal figures, integrating them with great ease into the natural surroundings.
Two of his most representative works, Caravan and Roman Landscape (the Campo Vacino in Rome), are currently preserved in the Prado Museum, as part of the former royal collections. Both were acquired by Charles IV and were originally located in the Casita del Príncipe in El Escorial.