Italian Cemetery c. 1660 - 1665

Adam Pynacker’s “Italian Cemetery” was painted with oils, likely on a wooden panel, sometime in the mid-17th century. Although Pynacker spent time in Italy, the scene is not so much a literal depiction as a romantic fantasy. Like many Dutch painters of the period, he used his mastery of brushwork to create evocative images of light, atmosphere, and texture. The handling of paint here, with its smooth gradients and hazy details, creates a dreamlike effect. But consider the social context. Pynacker was active during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of intense mercantile activity. The skill on display in this painting reflected a well-established system of artistic training, as well as a market hungry for luxury goods. The paint itself was manufactured, distributed, and sold as a commodity. So even as we admire the artist’s hand, we should also acknowledge the broader economic forces that made his work possible. The exquisite surface of this painting has a lot to tell us.