Artwork
Landschap met herder en melkmeid
Landschap met herder en melkmeid is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Aelbert Cuyp. It dates from 1620 and is held in the collection of the Groeningemuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work of the landscape genre, the painting focuses on the representation of the countryside and its inhabitants engaged in routine tasks.
Aelbert Cuyp's oil painting presents a pastoral landscape populated by specific rural figures and animals. The composition depicts a herder and a milkmaid attending to their livestock, which includes dairy cattle, a goat, and a dog. A tree anchors the scene, framing these elements of daily agricultural life.
As a work of the landscape genre, the painting focuses on the representation of the countryside and its inhabitants engaged in routine tasks.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, reflecting the landscape genre typical of Dutch art from the early 17th century. It portrays a pastoral scene with a milkmaid, a herder, dairy cattle, a goat, a tree, and a dog, arranged in a balanced composition that emphasizes naturalistic detail and atmospheric depth. The composition demonstrates Cuyp’s characteristic handling of light, with warm tonal transitions that model forms softly and integrate figures into the surrounding terrain.
The painting measures 40.7 cm in height and 53.4 cm in width, as recorded in the museum’s documentation.
History & Provenance
The painting is held in the permanent collection of the Groeningemuseum in Bruges.
Its dimensions are 40.7 cm in height and 53.4 cm in width.
The work has not been recorded as part of any publicly documented exhibitions in the provided sources.
Overview
Aelbert Cuijps oil work Landschap met herder en melkmeid presents a tranquil farm tableau at dusk. A seated herder in a wide‑brimmed hat rests on the grass, while a milkmaid in a dark dress attends a brown cow and a white goat. Two dogs lie nearby, and the landscape recedes into softly lit hills beneath a pinkish sky.
Context
Cuijps career unfolded in Dordrecht, where he was trained by his father, Jacob Gerritszoon Cuyp, and became known for expansive riverside vistas bathed in warm light. This work extends his interest in light effects to a more intimate farm setting, illustrating the broader Dutch fascination with both grand and modest aspects of the natural world.
Artist & collection
Artist
Aelbert Jacobszoon Cuyp or Cuijp (Dutch pronunciation: ; 20 October 1620 – 15 November 1691) was one of the leading Dutch Golden Age painters, producing mainly landscapes.
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The Flock of Sheep
Shepherdess with Cattle
Landscape with Shepherdess and Shepherd Playing Flute
Herder met kudde
Landscape with cattle
Shepherd with goats and sheep and a carriage on the right
Ezeldrijvers
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Landscape with sheperd, sheperdess and cattle
Watering the horses- Musicerend gezelschap