Artwork
Cows being Watered at a Village Pond. Brofelde, Zealand
Cows being Watered at a Village Pond. Brofelde, Zealand is an oil painting by Johan Lundbye. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Johan Thomas Lundbye's 1844 oil painting, Cows being Watered at a Village Pond.
About this work
Technique & Style
The artwork is characterized by its substantial physical scale, measuring 255 cm in height and 415 cm in width.
Executed in 1844, this work is an oil painting applied to a canvas support. The composition presents a rural landscape featuring cattle gathered at a village pond, accompanied by a human figure, a farmhouse, trees, and a sky filled with clouds. Roads and other landscape elements further structure the scene.
The artwork is characterized by its substantial physical scale, measuring 255 cm in height and 415 cm in width.
History & Provenance
Johan Lundbye painted Cows being Watered at a Village Pond. Brofelde, Zealand in 1844, executing the work in oil on canvas;. The painting was completed in the same year indicated by its inception date of 1844-01-01.
Following its creation, the work entered the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on view in Copenhagen. No records of prior owners or a specific commission are documented in the available sources.
The painting is held by Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, where it remains in the national collection.
It is inventoried as KMSsp712. The work was executed in 1844 and is recorded at 255 cm in height and 415 cm in width.
Overview
Johan Thomas Lundbye's 1844 oil painting, Cows being Watered at a Village Pond. Brofelde, Zealand, captures a tranquil rural scene. This work exemplifies the artist's focus on Danish landscapes and animal subjects, characteristic of the national romantic movement.
It depicts a group of cattle at a village pond in Zealand, observed by a lone figure, under a sky filled with clouds. The painting is part of the collection at Statens Museum for Kunst.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a serene depiction of daily life in the Danish countryside. Centered around a village pond, cattle gather to drink while a man sits nearby, observing the scene. In the background, thatched-roof farmhouses nestle against a rising hill, all beneath a cloud-strewn sky.
This focus on local topography and everyday rural activities aligns with the national romantic ideal of celebrating Denmark's natural beauty and its unassuming inhabitants.
Context
Created during the mid-19th century, this painting reflects the principles of the national romantic movement in Denmark. Artist Johan Thomas Lundbye was significantly influenced by art historian Niels Laurits Høyen, who advocated for Danish artists to depict their own country's landscapes and its ordinary people. This artistic philosophy aimed to foster a sense of national identity and pride by celebrating the unique character of the Danish rural environment, as seen in this tranquil village scene.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johan Thomas Lundbye (1 September 1818 – 25 April 1848) was a Danish painter and graphic artist, known for his animal and landscape paintings.
