A rocky river landscape with travellers on a path by a town

Stalbemt worked in a range of styles throughout his career and rarely dated his works, making the present picture an important example of his early work, and a significant marker in establishing a chronology for this artist. After the fall of Antwerp in 1585 the Protestant Stalbemt family moved to Middleburg; Stalbemt later returned to Antwerp, becoming a master in the St. Luke's Guild around 1609. Although many details of his life remain enigmatic, he is documented as having spent almost a year in England (1633-34), where he painted two views of Greenwich with King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria (still in the Royal Collection). A rocky river landscape with travellers on a path by a town is a beautiful example of the type of landscape that was popular in Antwerp during the first decades of the 17th century. Inspired by Pieter Brueghel the Elder's legendary journey across the Alps, Jan Brueghel and his contemporaries painted mountainous scenes with steep inclines and rocky cliffs, dotted with Italianate buildings. Travel was often the theme, as was the movement of goods suggested by the seaports that appeared frequently in the background. These sweeping views encompass both mountain ranges and oceans, dwarfing the figures that inhabit the landscape. His contrast of the dark wood with an open view suggests the experience of change inherent to travel and the softness of his brushwork makes for a moody, atmospheric atmosphere.