Artwork
Cows Crossing a Ford
Cows Crossing a Ford is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Jules Dupré. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition thus conveys both a realistic depiction of a specific locale and a broader commentary on the harmony between people and the land.
The painting shows a group of cattle being guided across a shallow ford by two farmers, one on foot and another on horseback, with a dog accompanying the herd; the riverbank is set in the rural Limousin region of central France. The low horizon and expansive sky echo the Romantic landscape tradition of John Constable and Richard Parkes Bonington, emphasizing atmospheric light over detailed topography. By focusing on everyday agrarian activity, Dupré elevates rural labor as a subject worthy of artistic representation, suggesting a symbolic connection between human industry and the natural environment.
The composition thus conveys both a realistic depiction of a specific locale and a broader commentary on the harmony between people and the land.
Technique & Style
Created in 1836, Cows Crossing a Ford is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 36.2 centimeters in height and 62.5 centimeters in width. Stylistically, the composition is defined by a low horizon line that emphasizes the expansive sky, a formal choice reflecting the artist's engagement with the landscape traditions of John Constable and Richard Parkes Bonington.
The painting depicts a rural scene in Limousin, featuring cattle, horses, dogs, and farmers navigating a river crossing. As an oil-on-canvas work, it adheres to the material practices of French landscape painting in the 1830s, prioritizing atmospheric rendering and naturalistic detail within a horizontal format.
History & Provenance
Cows Crossing a Ford is an oil on canvas work by the French artist Jules Dupré, dated to 1836. The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains held under the inventory number 67.213. No information is provided in the available sources regarding a commission, an earlier ownership chain, or intermediate collectors preceding the museum's acquisition.
The dating of 1836 is established across the records, with the inception recorded as 1836-01-01 in the structured data. The subject matter, farmers driving cattle across a river in the Limousin region of central France, is consistent across descriptions, but no provenance events such as sales, dealers, or donor transfers are documented in the consulted material.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it carries the accession number 67.213. It was created in 1836 and has been part of the museum’s collection since its acquisition in 1967. The work has not been recorded as part of any major traveling exhibitions in the sources consulted.
Context
Painted in 1836, Cows Crossing a Ford by Jules Dupré stands as a significant example of French landscape painting from the July Monarchy era. The work depicts agricultural labor in the Limousin region, capturing farmers guiding cattle across a river. Art historical analysis highlights the painting's low horizon and atmospheric sky as direct evidence of Dupré's engagement with the English landscape tradition, specifically the influences of John Constable and Richard Parkes Bonington.
This stylistic alignment situates the piece within the broader Romantic movement's shift toward naturalism and the study of light. Currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art under inventory number 67.213, the canvas serves as a key reference for understanding Dupré's early career and the cross-channel exchange of landscape aesthetics during the 1830s.
Overview
Jules Dupré, a French artist, completed Cows Crossing a Ford in 1836. This oil painting depicts a pastoral scene of livestock being guided through a shallow waterway. The artwork is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
It exemplifies Dupré's landscape approach, characterized by a serene atmosphere and a focus on natural light and color.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jules Louis Dupré (French pronunciation:; April 5, 1811 – October 6, 1889) was a French painter, one of the chief members of the Barbizon school of landscape painters.
