Sunken Road with Figures in the Sonian Forest

In Brussels Lodewijk de Vadder developed his own style of landscape painting using a technique in oils that is reminiscent of Peter Paul Rubens. De Vadder’s favourite painting subject was the wooded area surrounding Brussels with its luxuriant trees and sunken sandy bridle paths. The remarkably small figures, usually the work of other painters (such as David Teniers the Younger), symbolise the transience of life. In De Vadder’s work, nature’s grandeur is a reflection of God’s glory. Consequently, landscapes like these were very popular with the catholic clergy. They were hung in chapels, refectories and cloisters. De Vadder also painted scenes on cartoons which were then used to make tapestries. Indeed, the decorative nature of his painted landscapes somehow reminds us of such tapestries.