Dirck Verhaert (1610-1680) Signed Dvh - Large Animated Landscape

Dirck Verhaert (1610-1680) Signed Dvh - Large Animated Landscape

Oil on panel, 84 cm by 51 cm.
Important old frame, 105 m by 72 cm.

The artist offers us a vast and superb Mediterranean port landscape, animated by figures and bathed in a golden light characteristic of his work. The composition is structured around a maritime basin surrounded by hills and fortified buildings. In the center, a circular fortress built on a rocky islet dominates the scene; boats approach it, while sailboats glide on the calm waters of the harbor. In the background, a large fortified city. To the left, a medieval citadel stands on a promontory, overlooking the entrance to the harbor. To the right, an ancient tower, partially in ruins and overgrown with vegetation, stands out in the light. Around it, small houses with red tile roofs and people enliven the bank: walkers, fishermen, travelers.
The color palette is based on warm and harmonious tones: reddish browns, golden ochres, pink earths, mixed with silvery blues for the sky and the marine reflections. These color combinations give us a soft atmosphere, filled with tranquility.

Dirck Verhaert (1610-1680)

Dirck Verhaert, is a Dutch painter of the 17th century, probably born in Haarlem around 1610 and died in Leiden around 1680. Few documents allow us to precisely retrace his life, but his work is clearly part of the tradition of the Italianate landscape specific to the Dutch artists of the Golden Age. Active between 1630 and 1665, Verhaert is said to have worked in Haarlem, The Hague and Leiden. No master has been formally identified, but his style betrays the influence of painters such as Jan Both, Bartholomeus Breenbergh, and Karel Dujardin, who brought back from Italy a pronounced taste for southern light, ancient ruins, and classical compositions. Although there is no evidence that he himself traveled to Italy, Verhaert painted landscapes that faithfully capture its spirit and atmosphere. His paintings most often depict mountainous or coastal landscapes populated by Roman ruins, fortresses, and imaginary villages, bathed in a warm, golden light. He was particularly fond of harbor views, collapsed temples, and fortified cities, where figures bring vast, orderly spaces to life. His signature sometimes appears in the form of the monogram "D V H."