Artwork
Landscape with Cattle at Limousin
Landscape with Cattle at Limousin is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Jules Dupré. It dates from 1837 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, formerly owned by Robert Lehman.
Landscape with Cattle at Limousin portrays a tranquil pastoral scene set in the Limousin region of central France, featuring a herd of cattle grazing amid rolling terrain and trees. As a 1837 oil on canvas work by Jules Dupré, the painting exemplifies the French Romantic interest in realistic rural vistas, using detailed animal representation to convey the abundance and serenity of the countryside. The composition underscores the genre’s emphasis on naturalistic landscape depiction, reflecting contemporary attitudes toward agrarian life and the aesthetic valorization of untouched nature. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, formerly owned by Robert Lehman.
Technique & Style
Landscape with Cattle at Limousin, executed by Jules Dupré in 1837, is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 78.7 cm in height and 130.8 cm in width. Classified as a landscape painting, the piece depicts cattle within a rural setting.
As an oil-on-canvas support, the medium allows for the rich textural handling characteristic of the artist's approach to natural subjects during this period. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having been acquired from the Robert Lehman collection. Its formal qualities align with the landscape genre, focusing on the depiction of animals and the surrounding environment through the application of oil pigments.
History & Provenance
Landscape with Cattle at Limousin was painted by Jules Dupré in 1837 as an oil on canvas measuring 78.7 cm by 130.8 cm. The work entered the Robert Lehman Collection and has been part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings since Lehman’s bequest, where it is currently catalogued in the museum’s European paintings department. The work depicts cattle set within a broad landscape, reflecting Dupré’s focus on rural life. No earlier ownership or commission details are recorded in the available sources.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued under the Robert Lehman Collection. Its accession number is 1975.1.160. The work was first exhibited in 1837, the year of its creation, and has since been included in multiple thematic exhibitions at the museum, including displays of 19th-century French landscape painting within the Lehman Wing.
Overview
Jules Dupré, a prominent artist of the Barbizon school, created Landscape with Cattle at Limousin in 1837. This oil painting exemplifies the Barbizon movement's dedication to naturalistic portrayals of rural environments. It depicts a tranquil countryside scene featuring grazing cattle and scattered figures under an expansive, cloudy sky. The work is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Context
As a leading figure of the Barbizon school, Jules Dupré contributed to a significant shift in 19th-century landscape painting. This movement, emerging in France, prioritized direct observation of nature and the depiction of everyday rural scenery over historical or mythological subjects. Landscape with Cattle at Limousin illustrates this departure from academic traditions, focusing instead on the authentic beauty of the French countryside.
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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.
