(Hulst 1534–1598 Antwerp)
A village feast with travellers beyond,
oil on panel, 78 x 109 cm, framed

Provenance:
Collection Gunnar Asgeir Sadolin (1874–1974), Dragør, Denmark

Friedländer explains that Gillis Mostaert studied under Jan Mandyn (see M. J. Friedländer, Early Netherlandish Painting, V, Leiden and Brussels, 1969, p. 60). In 1554-5, he joined the Antwerp guild of Saint Luke and demonstrated his ability to paint a wide range of different genres and to alter his style to reflect these differing subject matters. He painted everything from mythological and biblical scenes, to hell and fire scenes reflecting the work of Hieronymus Bosch, and landscapes and villages such as the present work.

Gillis Mostaert’s depictions of landscapes and villages were particularly successful and he is praised most for the limited number of village kermesses that he produced. The present picture was likely painted during a later period in his artistic career and is related to his Kermesses such the painting, dated 1579 in the Národní Gallery, Prague. A raised viewpoint has been employed in these paintings and two strong diagonals are emphasised in their composition by the roads that are depicted leading into the village.