Ancient Landscape with Archers

Bourdon builds his composition on the principle of geometric relations of the various densely placed painting planes, which then contain vertical figures, trees and buildings. The canvas shows a group of archers with the ancient herm, whose shield serves as a target, and a family resting on the grass and watching the shooting. The other planes open up a view of a river spanned by a bridge, along which a boat is sailing. The river valley is framed with pieces of architecture. Bourdon’s landscape has close links, both in the treatment and date, to Landscape with a Mill from the Museum of Art in Providence. Reflecting the works of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, the two works were probably painted after the artist’s return from Sweden in 1658.