Wouwerman’s father, Paulus, and two of his brothers, Philips and Johannes, were painters in Haarlem. The artist joined the Guild of St. Luke — the painter’s guild — in Haarlem in 1646. He also established a studio in Paris where he produced many paintings. Like his better known brother, Philips, Pieter created many small cabinet pictures depicting battle scenes, hunting scenes, army camps, smithies and stables. In this scene, at the height of battle, two men on horseback with drawn swords engage in combat at the forest’s edge.
