Herder and Cattle under Trees

Abraham van Calraet painted Herder and Cattle under Trees in 1660 as an oil on canvas landscape. The work entered the collection of Anselm von Rothschild and remained in the Rothschild family before being acquired by the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Munich, where it was listed in the Führermuseum holdings and the Munich Central Collecting Point.

The painting’s creation history is tied to van Calraet’s early period, with the date recorded as 1660 in the artist’s catalogue and confirmed by material analysis of the canvas. It was likely commissioned by a private patron associated with the Rothschild circle, though no formal contract survives.

The painting is held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it is inventoried as GG_1138. It entered the museum’s holdings via the Rothschild family: it was owned by Anselm von Rothschild, then by his son Ferdinand James von Rothschild, and later by Nathaniel Anselm von Rothschild before transfer to the Austrian state collection.

It was restituted to the heirs of the von Rothschild family in 1946, after which it was restituted to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in 1949.

Abraham van Calraet’s 1660 oil on canvas, Herder and Cattle under Trees, presents a tranquil rural tableau. A solitary herder rests beneath a mature tree, his staff supporting his posture, while a dog lies at his feet and a small herd grazes in the surrounding meadow. The composition is anchored by a gentle river and distant hills, all rendered in the calm palette typical of Dutch Golden Age landscape painting.

Van Calraet, primarily known for still lifes and portraiture, applied his meticulous observation of light and surface to landscape in this piece. The painting reflects the period’s interest in idealized yet realistic countryside views, aligning with the Dutch tradition of portraying modest, everyday subjects with a dignified compositional balance.