Jan Lievensz.

This drawing has been most recently attributed to Jan Lievens primarily because of physical and stylistic similarities to his other works. A drawing thought to be by Lievens at the Fogg Museum, Harvard University, makes a striking comparison. The drawings are the same size and are damaged and worn in the same areas. In both works, the treatment of the foliage recalls Lievens's preference for bold, energetic pen marks. Lievens also often employed wavelike hills, such as those seen in this sheet, to create a pattern of motion that pushes the horizon line upward. The subject of this drawing is unusual for Lievens. His landscape drawings are typically realistic representations of the Dutch countryside. This image seems to belong to an Italian tradition of pastoral and Arcadian scenes in which the landscape is a stage set waiting for action. This is enhanced by the inclusion of two figures dressed in Italian-style clothing, who observe the scene from the right border. Considering its style, the drawing was probably made in the mid-1630s, after Lievens moved to Antwerp from Leiden, where he had worked closely with Rembrandt.