A river landscape; and A coastal landscape

These colourful roundels are typical of Abel Grimmer’s enduringly recognisable style, with their confident handling of paint and stylised figures set in elegant landscapes. Trained in the workshop of his father, Jacob, Abel perpetuated the family’s prestigious legacy in the landscape genre. Jacob made a significant contribution to the Netherlandish landscape tradition and is credited with being one of the first painters to break with the panoramic format that had been pioneered by his predecessor Joachim Patinir; Karel van Mander defined his preeminent position praising him as: ‘outstandingly skilled in landscapes’.

Abel Grimmer worked closely in his father’s style, repeating many of his successful compositions. There are no direct prototypes for these works in Jacob’s oeuvre, however, Reine de Bertier de Sauvigny suggests that in this instance Abel may have been inspired by the work of Paul Bril. Grimmer produced a number of roundels on this scale, designed to be sold in pairs or sets, and it is possible that these two panels may once have formed part of a larger series, although they do not immediately lend themselves to interpretation as being part of either of the usual themes of the Seasons or Months of the year.