Who painted Landscape with herdsmen and cattle?

Landscape with herdsmen and cattle was painted by Dirck van der Bergen in 1675-01-01.

Where can I see Landscape with herdsmen and cattle?

Landscape with herdsmen and cattle is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Landscape with herdsmen and cattle?

Landscape with herdsmen and cattle is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of Landscape with herdsmen and cattle?

Museum-quality prints of Landscape with herdsmen and cattle are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Landscape with herdsmen and cattle

Dirck van der Bergen , 1675

Landscape with herdsmen and cattle is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Dirck van der Bergen. It dates from 1675 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

In the foreground, a shepherdess washes her feet in a pool of water while surrounded by her livestock, which includes cows, a resting calf, sheep, and a goat.

The painting depicts an Italianate landscape centered on a pastoral scene. In the foreground, a shepherdess washes her feet in a pool of water while surrounded by her livestock, which includes cows, a resting calf, sheep, and a goat. To the left, a stone bridge frames a secondary vignette featuring another shepherd and shepherdess engaged in rural activity.

This composition exemplifies the pastoral landscape genre, reflecting the influence of Dirck van der Bergen's teacher, Adriaen van de Velde, who was known for similar idyllic countryside scenes. The work represents an idealized vision of rural life, combining specific naturalistic details of animals and terrain with a serene, classical atmosphere typical of Dutch Italianate painting in the late seventeenth century.

Technique & Style

This landscape is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, measuring 41.5 cm in height and 52.5 cm in width. The composition depicts an Italianate pastoral scene featuring a herdswoman washing her feet in a foreground pool, surrounded by cattle, a reclining calf, sheep, and a goat. A stone bridge appears on the left, framing a secondary pastoral vignette with additional figures beneath it.

The work bears the signature 'D.vand. / Bergen' at the lower center. Stylistically, the painting reflects the influence of Adriaen van de Velde, under whom the artist trained, particularly in its treatment of serene, figurative landscapes.

History & Provenance

The painting was created in 1675 by Dirck van der Bergen, a Dutch landscape painter trained by Adriaen van de Velde. It was first documented at an 1827 auction of Gerrit Muller's estate in Amsterdam, where it was sold to collector Johannes Rombouts. Rombouts bequeathed the work to his nephew Leendert Dupper in 1850, who later left it to the Rijksmuseum in 1870 as a donation.

The work bears the signature 'D.vand. / Bergen' and was likely painted after 1660, when Van Bergen settled in Haarlem, and before 1690, the year of his last dated work.

Landscape with herdsmen and cattle is held in the Rijksmuseum. Its inventory number is not specified in the provided sources. The work entered the museum collection via a bequest from Leendert Dupper in 1870, following his death in 1870, and had previously been owned by Johannes Rombouts in 1850.

It was first recorded in an 1827 auction of Gerrit Muller's estate. The painting was exhibited in the Rijksmuseum, though specific exhibition dates are not detailed in the sources.

Overview

Created in 1675, this oil on canvas by Dutch painter Dirck van der Bergen presents a tranquil rural tableau. The composition is housed in the Rijksmuseum, where it remains part of the museum’s collection of 17th‑century Dutch landscape works.