Artwork
Holland Cows
Holland Cows is a print by the Impressionist artist Charles-Émile Jacque. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1921.1458
- Credit line
- Gift of Leonard C. Hanna Jr.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1864, Holland Cows is a black‑and‑white print by French artist Charles‑Émile Jacque. The image presents a tranquil woodland setting where two cows, one standing and one lying, share the foreground with a small flock of sheep. A figure in the distance tends the animals while a stream and surrounding trees frame the composition, emphasizing a quiet, everyday rural moment.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on domestic livestock within a natural landscape, reflecting Jacque’s enduring interest in pastoral life. Though the title suggests a Dutch origin for the cattle, the scenery, dense trees, a modest stream, and a solitary caretaker, resembles the French countryside that the artist frequently depicted, underscoring a universal connection between humans and their working animals.
Technique & Style
Jacque employs simple, linear engraving to delineate forms, using varying line density to suggest light, shadow, and texture. The restrained palette of black and white enhances the sense of calm and realism, aligning the piece with the Realist tendency to portray ordinary scenes without idealization. The composition balances detailed foreground figures with a more atmospheric background.
History & Provenance
Charles‑Émile Jacque, a member of the Barbizon School, produced the print after a career that began with map engraving during a seven‑year service in the French army. His collaboration with contemporaries such as Jean‑François Millet placed him within a circle that championed rural subjects, and Holland Cows exemplifies his mature printmaking phase.
Context
The print illustrates the Realist movement’s shift toward everyday agrarian life, a departure from Romantic or classical idealization. By rendering a modest farm scene with precise yet economical lines, Jacque contributed to the visual vocabulary that later influenced French and European depictions of countryside labor, reinforcing the legitimacy of ordinary subjects in fine art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles-Émile Jacque (23 May 1813 – 7 May 1894) was a French painter of Pastoralism and engraver who was, with Jean-François Millet, part of the Barbizon School. He first learned to engrave maps when he spent seven years in the French Army.
