Artwork
Pigs in a barnyard
Pigs in a barnyard is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen. It dates from 1875 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Formal qualities center on a low, earth-toned horizon that anchors a compact barnyard scene, with pigs and farm structures silhouetted against a muted sky.
The work is an oil painting on canvas executed in 1875.
Formal qualities center on a low, earth-toned horizon that anchors a compact barnyard scene, with pigs and farm structures silhouetted against a muted sky. Handling is fluid yet controlled, using blended passages for foliage and more defined strokes for animal forms to balance texture and legibility. The composition favors a subdued palette of ochres, umbers, and greens, emphasizing rural quietude over dramatic incident.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1875 by Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen. It entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings as part of the Arnoldus Andries des Tombe bequest, which is recorded in the museum’s collection. The work has remained in the Rijksmuseum’s collection since accession, with no later provenance changes documented.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it is recorded under inventory number SK-A-3547.
It was included in the 1909 exhibition De Hollandsche Kunst in de 19e Eeuw at the Rijksmuseum, as part of a survey of 19th-century Dutch art.
Overview
Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen’s oil painting Pigs in a Barnyard was completed in 1875 and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. The work depicts a modest rural setting, focusing on a woman in a dark dress and apron who leans against a wooden fence while observing two pigs engaged in typical farm activity. The composition captures a quiet moment in a farmyard surrounded by stone walls, a tree trunk and a small grassy patch.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a woman in plain attire, serves as a calm observer of the animals, suggesting a relationship between human labor and livestock. One pig is shown rooting near a wooden trough, while the other rests on the ground, emphasizing the everyday rhythms of agricultural life. The painting conveys a sense of stillness and the simple, unembellished reality of 19th‑century farm work.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen
Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen (1811–1891) was an artist, born in Nijmegen.
