Halt of Horsemen in a Forest

Pieter Snayers created immense historical battle scenes and smaller works depicting cavalry skirmishes and scenes of soldiers at rest. The latter include Horsemen Resting in a Forest in the State Hermitage. The painting demonstrates the artist's mastery of composition. The numerous personages are inscribed in a triangle, the left and right sides of which are delineated by trees. The base of the pyramidal composition is provided by a hillock in the foreground that is filled with the large figures of a horseman and dice-players. Pieter Snayers reveals great professionalism not only in the construction of the forest landscape, but also in the combination of the landscape with the figures, creating a sense of movement. The personages are invested with vivid characters conveyed through expressive poses and energetic gestures.