Dirk Stoop (Utrecht c. 1618-c. 1686)

Dirk Stoop came from a family of artists: his brother Maerten became painter of battle scenes while Dirk excelled in landscapes. A widely travelled artist, he spent some years in Rome, where he was influenced by Dutch Italianate artists such as Jan Both. Around 1661 Dirk departed for Portugal, becoming Court painter to the Princess Catherine of Braganza, following her entourage to London after her marriage with King Charles II (1630-1685) in 1662. Stoop remained in London, painting royal portraits, topographical landscapes and hunting scenes, until 1665.

The present painting can be dated to within the English period of the artist, and shows a capriccio view of London before the Great Fire of 1666, where much of the City including Old Saint Paul’s was destroyed. It has been suggested that the elegant gentleman on horseback is Charles II, returning from the hunting grounds in Greenwich.