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Jan Fyt, Landscape with Dogs and a Huntsman It is the hunting dogs, and not the hunter in the center, who are the protagonists of this landscape. Jan Fyt has depicted them exhausted from the hunt and resting in the shadow of a rock. Some are shown sleeping, others merely at rest and others still are active and running around.This painting exemplifies why Jan Fyt was considered one of the leading still life and animal painters in the Netherlands in the 17th century. He has depicted the dogs in lifelike poses and perfectly captured the softness of their fur. Jan Fyt's paintings were sought-after among collectors for these qualities and sold for high prices, making him one of the most wealthy artists in Antwerp. Due to this high demand for his works, he often painted his most popular compositions numerous times, as is the case with this motif (cf. Dorotheum auction, Vienna, 19.9.1961, lot 39). The original composition was probably first painted during the artist's trip to Italy in the 1630s, where he emancipated himself from the style of his teacher Franz Snyder, and under the influence of Italian painting gravitated towards a colour palette dominated by subtle brown tones. Jan Fyt was primarily known for his still lifes with game, in which he painted the spoils of the hunt in combination with live animals, especially hunting dogs - which in this painting have emancipated themselves from their owner. 57.5 x 82 cm