Landscape with Saint Hubertus
Herri met de Bles·1501
Historical Context
Herri met de Bles painted this Landscape with Saint Hubertus around 1501, combining the visionary subject with his specialization in panoramic landscapes. The legend of Hubertus encountering a stag with a crucifix between its antlers was a popular subject in Northern European art. Bles's treatment subordinates the narrative to the expansive landscape. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique.
Technical Analysis
Oil on panel with Bles's characteristic panoramic landscape stretching to the blue-green atmospheric horizon. The small figures of Hubertus and the miraculous stag are set within the vast landscape that is the true subject.
