Buy a giclee of A Bathing Nymph Taken by Surprise by a Satyr, Moyses van Wtenbrouck, c. 1630 - c. 1635 - Mature Period

Q: What topics does A Bathing Nymph Taken by Surprise by a Satyr, Moyses van Wtenbrouck, c. 1630 - c. 1635 explore?

mythology, nymphs, satyrs, bathing, landscape, classical, leisure

Q: Is A Bathing Nymph Taken by Surprise by a Satyr, Moyses van Wtenbrouck, c. 1630 - c. 1635 under copyright?

No, this artwork is in the public domain.

Artwork Description

The subject of this painting has most often been identified in the literature as Pan and Syrinx from Ovid’s Metamorphoses (I:686-715). In Ovid’s tale, Mercury relates how Pan mistook the chaste naiad Syrinx for the goddess Diana and chased her to Ladon’s stream. There she begged the water nymphs to transform her into tall marsh reeds. In 17th-century representations of this subject, such as a collaborative work by Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder,4 Pan is shown in hot pursuit of Syrinx, who has just reached the river Ladon. A different painting by Wtenbrouck includes a personification of the river, with Syrinx in the process of changing into the reeds.5 It is unlikely that the Rijksmuseum painting depicts the same subject, as the female figure is not shown fleeing from the satyr, but rather reclines on a riverbank facing him. Moreover, in the background, another satyr is seen playing the pipes Pan fashioned from the reeds Syrinx had turned herself into. Weisner’s suggestion that the subject might be taken from Act 2, Scene 6 of Guarini’s Il Pastor Fido, which involves the nymph Corysca and a satyr, is equally unlikely.6 This theme was treated very rarely in the 17th century, and only once in northern art, in an etching by Bartholomeus Breenbergh.7 While the satyr does pursue Corysca in Guarini’s play, Breenbergh and others8 preferred to depict the satyr pulling Corysca’s hair (actually a wig) once he had caught her. The Rijksmuseum painting appears to show simply a satyr surprising a nymph at her bath, and as such is related to an etching etching by Wtenbrouck of a Woman Surprised at her Bath by a Shepherd (fig. a). Weisner placed the present painting among what he called Wtenbrouck’s ‘arcadian Dutch’ landscapes of the 1630s.9 Characteristic features of the works from this period include the painting’s vertical format and the spotlight illumination of the figures. The figures themselves no longer possess the Lastmanian robustness present in Wtenbrouck’s production from the mid to late-1620s, but are smaller in scale and less sharply defined. Wtenbrouck’s new figural style has been related by some scholars to the influence of Cornelis van Poelenburch.10 Also characteristic of Wtenbrouck’s landscapes in this period, but already present in some of his works from the 1620s, are the massive, gnarled tree-trunk on the left of the Rijksmuseum composition and the twisted, dead branches of the tree in the centre. As Chong has pointed out, Van Coninxloo and his followers would have been important examples for Wtenbrouck in this regard.11 Another feature of the present painting, and of the artist’s ‘arcadian Dutch’ landscapes as a whole, is the muted, glowing tonality, which differs dramatically from his use of primary colours in the 1620s. Jonathan Bikker, 2007 See Bibliography and Rijksmuseum painting catalogues See Key to abbreviations and Acknowledgements This entry was published in J. Bikker (ed.), Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, I: Artists Born between 1570 and 1600, coll. cat. Amsterdam 2007, no. 350.

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Artist Biography

The Architect of Arcadian Dreams

In the heart of the Dutch Golden Age, amidst the burgeoning prosperity of The Hague, Moses van Uyttenbroeck emerged as a painter of profound sensitivity and technical brilliance. Born around 1600, his early life was deeply entwined with the rigorous traditions of the Guild of Saint Luke, which he joined in 1614. This formative period provided him with a foundation of meticulous craftsmanship, yet Uyttenbroeck was far from a mere follower of convention. He possessed an inquisitive spirit that sought to bridge the gap between the grounded, tactile realism of his Northern European roots and the ethereal, idealized beauty of the Italianate tradition. As the younger brother of the painter Jan Matheus van Wtenbrouck, he moved within a vibrant artistic circle that would eventually see him become a pivotal figure in shaping the landscape genre.

A Symphony of Light and Myth

Uyttenbroeck’s artistry is most celebrated for its masterful fusion of disparate worlds. He drew deep inspiration from the atmospheric depth of Adam Elsheimer and the harmonic balance found in the works of Cornelis van Poelenburch. Through his brush, the rugged textures of the Dutch landscape were transformed into much more than mere scenery; they became stages for the eternal dramas of classical mythology. His canvases often breathe with a dramatic, spotlight-like illumination, where rich pigments and carefully orchestrated shadows create a sense of sudden, breathtaking movement. One can almost feel the tension in his depictions of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, such as the evocative scenes involving Pan and Syrinx. In these works, the artist captures the precise moment where nature and myth collide—where a nymph might be caught by surprise or transformed into the very reeds that line a riverbank.

Legacy and Artistic Significance

Beyond his individual technical achievements, Uyttenbroeck’s historical significance lies in his role as a pioneer of the Arcadian landscape. He did not merely paint trees and rivers; he painted an idealized vision of nature that offered a serene escape for the 17th-century viewer. His influence extended through generations, as he served as a teacher to artists such as Anthonie Jansz. van der Croos, ensuring that his unique blend of narrative and landscape would endure. His enduring impact on the Dutch Golden Age is characterized by:

The mastery of atmospheric perspective, which brought a sense of infinite, dreamlike depth to the terrestrial landscape.
A seamless integration of classical mythology into the natural world, elevating genre painting to the level of epic narrative.
Technical innovation in lighting, using dramatic contrasts to heighten the emotional and mythological resonance of his subjects.

moses van uyttenbroeck

1646 , Netherlands

Quick Facts

Artistic Movement Or Style: Dutch Golden Age
Artists Or Movements Influenced By This Artist: ['Willem Frederik van Royen']
Artists Who Influenced This Artist:
- Adam Elsheimer
- Cornelis van Poelenburch
Date Of Birth: c. 1600
Date Of Death: 1646
Full Name: Moses van Uyttenbroeck
Nationality: Dutch
Notable Artworks: ['A Bathing Nymph Taken by Surprise by a Satyr']
Place Of Birth: The Hague, Netherlands

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