Carel Van Falens Or Valen Paintings

Carel van Falens, also known as Carel van Valen, was a Flemish painter born in 1683 in Antwerp, then part of the Spanish Netherlands. He is primarily known for his work as a landscape and battle scene painter. Van Falens received his initial artistic training in his hometown, which during the 17th century was a significant artistic center in Europe, fostering the talents of numerous painters, particularly in the Flemish Baroque tradition.

Van Falens showed a strong inclination towards painting landscapes and was influenced by the works of other Flemish artists such as Peter Snayers and Adam Frans van der Meulen, who were renowned for their battle scenes and landscapes. In his early career, he developed a style characterized by meticulous attention to detail and dynamic compositions, which would become his trademark throughout his career.

In pursuit of further artistic opportunities, Carel van Falens decided to leave Antwerp. He traveled to France, where he joined the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris in 1720 and became a French citizen in 1727. His move to Paris proved successful, as he gained the patronage of important figures, including members of the French aristocracy and possibly the royal family. During his time in France, his style continued to evolve, showing the influence of French artistic tastes while maintaining his Flemish roots.

Van Falens' works often depict cavalry skirmishes, hunting scenes, and landscapes with a remarkable sense of movement and activity, reflecting the martial spirit of the era. His ability to capture the chaos of battle and the serene beauty of nature made his paintings sought after by collectors of the time.

Carel van Falens died in 1733 in Paris. Although not as widely known today as some of his contemporaries, his work remains an important representation of the transition in European art from the Baroque to the Rococo and reflects the cross-cultural artistic exchanges between the Flemish and French schools of painting during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.