Outdoor party

In the background there is a white castle with high towers surrounded by moats. In front of it is an extensive Renaissance garden with other moats, trees, hedges and pergolas. There are several gondolas on the canals. Hundreds of cavaliers and ladies stroll in the parks. The reverse side of the painting, painted on copper, was originally packaged. The packaging and the original frame were probably removed during a restoration in 1981. Numerous versions of this motif circulate in the art trade (Documentation RKD, The Hague), which are often assigned to the workshop or circle of David Vinckboons (1576-1632). There is also a version of this motif in the Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans (title: Love Garden). The existence of a lost work by Vinckboons, on which the composition is based, has not yet been proven. See also: Klaus Ertz/Christa Nitze-Ertz: David Vinckboons 1576–1632. Monographie mit kritischem Katalog der Zeichnungen und Gemälde, Lingen 2016, S. 16–22 and 376.