Attributed to Gaspard Dughet

Attributed to GASPARD DUGHET (Rome, 1615-1675)
"Landscape with figures".
Oil on canvas.
It has two labels on the back: "italian landscape, Gaspar Poussin", "bought at Christie's, June 27, 1889".
Measurements: 35 x 45 cm; 54 x 65 cm (frame).

This lake landscape masterfully represents the classic ideal of the baroque landscape, in which nature becomes a harmonious and solemn setting for human presence.

In the composition, a tranquil river or lake flows through the wooded landscape, subtly reflecting the golden light of the sunset that bathes the entire scene in warm, earthy tones. On the shore, three figures of classical or biblical appearance (perhaps prophets) provide a narrative and spiritual note, integrating naturally into the environment.

The landscape is developed in soft successive planes: dense trees in the foreground, houses scattered on a hillside in the middle ground, and in the background, bluish and vaporous mountains that close the perspective with a poetic sense of remoteness.

Dughet, also known as Gaspard Poussin because of his artistic relationship with his brother-in-law Nicolas Poussin, manifests here his characteristic style: ordered composition, balance between nature and architecture, and a serene atmosphere where the twilight gives the whole a tone of classical melancholy and idealized harmony.

Gaspard Dughet is considered one of the main masters in the creation of the poetics of the Roman landscape in the 17th century, as well as being one of the most valued artists of his time and, in addition to working on canvas, he frescoed numerous decorations in Roman palaces. Specializing in landscapes, he especially liked to show the environment of Rome. Experts agree that the relative abundance of preserved works, together with the lack of dates, make a chronology and a detailed study of his production difficult. Stylistically, he started from a landscape in which classical serenity stood out (influenced by Poussin), to gradually adapt the influence of Nordic painters to bring more drama to his work, adding storms or rugged landscapes. The small human figures in his paintings were sometimes made by other artists. It should be noted that he was appointed Academician of St. Luke in Rome in 1659, and that the Spanish ambassador Castel Rodrigo bought much of his work, which could be for himself or for King Philip IV. His work is preserved in various private collections around the world and in institutions such as the Prado Museum in Madrid, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, the Wallace Collection in London, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, etc.