River Landscape with Cows
ca. 1645 - ca. 1650
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
72.5; 7; 1.5; 43
About this artwork
Purchased with the support of N.V. Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken to Stichting Jubileumfonds Rijksmuseum
Art Historical Context
Aelbert Cuyp's *River Landscape with Cows painted around 1645–1650, captures the tranquil beauty of the Dutch countryside during the Golden Age. This oil on panel (43 × 72.5 cm) depicts a serene river scene dotted with grazing cattle, bathed in the warm, golden light Cuyp was famous for. As a master of the Dutch landscape tradition from Dordrecht, Cuyp blended realistic observation with an almost luminous idealism, evoking the prosperity and peace of the Netherlands after its independence from Spanish rule. Cuyp's technique shines in his masterful use of oil on panel, a favored medium for its...
About the Artist
Aelbert Cuyp · 1620–1691
Aelbert Cuyp (1620–1691), a leading figure of the Dutch Golden Age, was born and died in Dordrecht, Netherlands, where he spent his entire life. The son of portraitist and animal painter Jacob Gerritsz Cuyp (1594–1652), Aelbert came from a family of artists—his uncle Benjamin Gerritsz Cuyp and grandfather Gerrit Gerritsz Cuyp were stained-glass designers—and studied under his father, with whom he ...