Aelbert Cuyp - A Herdsman with Five Cows by a River [c.1650-55]

Aelbert Cuyp - A Herdsman with Five Cows by a River [c.1650-55], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

This painting is a mature work, probably of the mid-1650s, and shows how a traditional type of composition was transformed by the artist. The scene is illuminated from the left by the warmth of the sun which sparkles on the water, highlighting the reflections of the boats and the cattle. Cuyp (1620 – 1691) painted the subject of a group of cows standing in shallow water on a number of occasions.

[Oil on oak, 45.4 x 74 cm]