The Departure for the Market

Siberechts's earliest dated works, such as his Italianate Landscape (1653; Berlin, Gemäldegalerie), reveal the influence of the Dutch Italianates, some of whose works he probably saw in Antwerp, rather than in Rome where they were active. Between 1661 - the year of the present picture - and 1672 he developed an individual style that took its inspiration from rustic life in Flanders. These compositions often show a symmetrical triangular plan in which the bright whites, reds and yellows of the predominantly female figures' simple clothing form colourful accents against the cool green landscapes. The backgrounds, generally cut off by a screen of foliage, emphasize the figures, animals and brightly-lit road in the foreground. His works until 1665 display an obvious interest in light effects; thereafter, the representation of volume and shape became a predominant concern, expressed through, for example, more prominent figures, placed sparingly in the foreground. The present picture although early in this period, is very representative of Siberecht's style in the 1660s, comparable with the Market garden in the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels.