Artwork
Horses near the fence.
Horses near the fence. is an oil painting by Anton Mauve. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Horses near the fence is a landscape painting by Anton Mauve that focuses on pastoral rural scenery rather than narrative or allegorical content.
Horses near the fence is a landscape painting by Anton Mauve that focuses on pastoral rural scenery rather than narrative or allegorical content. The composition centers on horses grazing in an open pasture enclosed by a fence, with a watercourse running through the scene and broad-leaved trees framing the countryside. A cloud-filled sky occupies the upper register, a typical feature of Mauve's Hague School landscapes.
The work belongs to a tradition of late nineteenth-century Dutch landscape painting that celebrated everyday rural life, with the grazing horse serving as a familiar motif of domesticated nature and tranquil country existence. There is no overt symbolic or iconographic program; the painting's meaning lies in its atmospheric observation of pastoral life, presenting the fenced pasture as a quiet, inhabited corner of the Dutch countryside.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1878, this landscape by Anton Mauve utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 42.8 cm in height and 25.3 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition captures a rural scene featuring grazing horses positioned near a fence, set against a backdrop of watercourses, pastures, and broad-leaved trees under a cloudy sky.
The piece is classified as a painting within the landscape genre, currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
History & Provenance
Anton Mauve painted Horses near the fence in 1878 using oil on canvas, as recorded in the work’s catalog entry and the artist’s dated oeuvre. The painting measures 42.8 × 25.3 cm and depicts a rural scene with horses beside a fence. Following its creation, the work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display.
Documentation of its acquisition by the museum confirms its provenance from the artist’s estate to institutional ownership, though no record of a specific commission or sale is noted.
Context
Anton Mauve completed Horses near the fence in 1878; the work is an oil painting on canvas measuring 42.8 × 25.3 cm. It belongs to the landscape genre and portrays a rural scene with sky, clouds, trees, a fence, watercourse, and grazing horses. The painting is housed in the Rijksmuseum, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s collection.
Overview
Anton Mauve's 1890 oil painting, "Horses near the Fence," exemplifies the Dutch realist tradition of the Hague School. This landscape work captures a tranquil rural moment, featuring grazing horses beside a wooden barrier under a cloudy sky. The piece reflects Mauve's characteristic focus on agricultural life and his skill in depicting the natural world. It is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anthonij "Anton" Rudolf Mauve (Dutch pronunciation:; 18 September 1838 – 5 February 1888) was a Dutch realist painter who was a leading member of the Hague School.
