Lot 1029 Dα

The Flemish-Dutch painter Roelant Savery moved to Prague in 1604, where he became court painter to Emperor Rudolph II, and then to Emperor Matthias following the former's death. Whilst residing there, the artist took several sojourns throughout his patron's vast domain, including a trip to Tyrol to study the region's mountains and flora first hand. Like so many of Savery's works, the present panel combines a bucolic scene with architectural motifs and the depiction of wild and domesticated animals. He depicts cattle basking in the sunlight beside ancient ruins and a small waterfall, surrounded by accurately observed plants and animals. Savery never went to Italy, so it is likely that he based the depiction of the ruins on works by other artists. Ekkehard Mai dates the painting to around 1615/18, whereas Müllenmeister suggests a slightly later date of circa 1620. In any case, the work can be dated to the artist's mature period. It may have been painted whilst he was still in Prague, but since Savery returned to Holland in 1616, the work could also have been made during his initial years in Amsterdam.