Figures and horses resting near a windmill - Joseph van Bredael

JOSEPH VAN BREDAEL
(Antwerp 1688 - 1739 Paris)
“Figures and horses resting near a windmill before a river landscape”
Oil on panel
We’d like to thank dr. Jan de Meare for his attribution. A written certificate is available. (Rambrouch, 23 oct. 2025)
Dimensions: 29 x 35 cm, 35 x 42 cm (framed)

THE ARTIST
Joseph van Bredael was a Flemish painter celebrated for his Italianate and Brueghelian landscapes, as well as for his village scenes, fairs, markets, and pastoral compositions. Born into a family of artists in Antwerp, he was the son of Joris van Bredael and brother of Jan Pieter van Bredael, both accomplished painters.
At the age of eighteen, in 1706, van Bredael entered into an agreement with the Antwerp art dealer Jacob de Witte, committing himself to reproduce small-scale works after masters such as Jan Brueghel the Elder, Philips Wouwerman, and Claude Lorrain. These early years honed his precision and technique, leading to his distinctive style—a blend of miniaturist detail, soft tonal harmonies, and refined naturalism.
In 1735, van Bredael settled in Paris, where he became painter to the Duke of Orléans and a member of the Royal Academy. His paintings, often signed with the monogram “JB,” were at times confused with those of Jan Brueghel due to their shared aesthetic lineage. Nevertheless, Joseph van Bredael’s delicate handling, graceful figures, and luminous palette distinguish him as one of the finest interpreters of the Brueghelian tradition, alongside artists like Peeter Gijsels, Théobald Michau, and Mathys Schoevaerdts.
THE ARTWORK
This beautifully balanced landscape, Figures and Horses Resting near a Windmill before a River Landscape, exemplifies van Bredael’s mastery of atmospheric clarity, compositional harmony, and narrative charm. Set within a tranquil Flemish countryside, the scene unfolds across multiple planes: peasants and riders gather near a windmill on the right, while boats glide along a gentle river that meanders toward the horizon.
The painting demonstrates van Bredael’s precise yet fluid brushwork, visible in the slender-limbed horses, luminous skies, and miniature-like rendering of figures. His palette—dominated by soft blues, browns, and ochres—creates a serene, almost musical rhythm throughout the composition.
While inspired by the world of Jan Brueghel the Elder, van Bredael’s interpretation reflects eighteenth-century refinement and lyricism. His figures are lighter, his handling of space more open, and his color transitions smoother and more atmospheric. Comparable in theme and structure to the artist’s work in the Landesmuseum Mainz (inv. no. 715), this panel reveals the painter’s signature combination of precision, balance, and gentle humor—qualities that confirm Joseph van Bredael’s standing among the most gifted followers of the Flemish landscape tradition.