A wooded landscape with brigands attacking travellers

This boldly painted landscape belongs to a group of works executed in the 1760s, after Fragonard’s return from Rome, in which he emulated the manner of the great masters of the Dutch Golden Age, especially the broad sceneries painted by Jacob van Ruisdael. The young artist undoubtedly became acquainted with Dutch landscape painting through trips to the Netherlands, although they are sketchily documented. Closer to home, he was able to admire Dutch art of the highest calibre in the cabinets of Parisian amateurs, at this time consumed by the goût hollandais. The popularity of Northern landscapes fuelled a strong demand for such tributes to the art of the previous century, and connoisseurs often commissioned these elegant pastiches as pendants to existing works in their collection. Fragonard's landscapes are never slavish imitations however, but highly conscious and personal interpretations of northern art, suitable for a new age and culture far removed from that of 17th century Holland. The present work is inspired by a picture by Pieter de Molijn which exists in two versions, both slightly wider in scale (previously in Canford Manor; previously in the collection of Dr. K.F. Weckebach).

Jean-Pierre Cuzin and Christoph Vogtherr have both independently confirmed the attribution to Fragonard on the basis of photographs.