De ossendrift
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
38; 62.5
About this artwork
oil on panel
Art Historical Context
Nicolaes Pieterszchem's *De ossendrift* (The Ox Drift), painted in 1656, is a captivating oil-on-panel work measuring 38 cm high by 62.5 cm wide, now housed in the Rijksmuseum. during the Dutch Golden Age this intimate panel captures Berchem's mastery of pastoral landscapes, a genre he helped popularize. The title evokes a scene of oxen being herded through sunlit countryside, blending everyday rural life with idealized natural beauty. Berchem (1620–1683), influenced by Italian masters like Claude Lorrain, infused Dutch realism with warm, luminous Italianate atmospheres. His specialty in anim...