Artwork

Farm animals at pasture

Farm animals at pasture, by Karel Dujardin, oil, 1650
Farm animals at pasture, by Karel Dujardin, oil, 1650

Farm animals at pasture is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Karel Dujardin. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The inclusion of a house suggests cultivated domesticity within nature, reinforcing themes of order and harmony revered in Dutch Golden Age art.

The painting depicts a pastoral scene featuring cattle and sheep grazing near a hill with a house in the background, embodying the pastoral ideal of rural tranquility and abundance. As a Dutch landscape genre work from 1650, it reflects 17th-century European iconography of harmony between humanity and the natural world, aligning with the genre's tradition of celebrating idyllic countryside settings.

The composition draws on established landscape painting conventions, where grazing livestock symbolize prosperity and the peaceful management of land, often associated with aristocratic ideals of stewardship. The inclusion of a house suggests cultivated domesticity within nature, reinforcing themes of order and harmony revered in Dutch Golden Age art.

Technique & Style

Farm animals at pasture is executed in oil paint, consistent with Karel Dujardin's standard practice for landscape compositions of this period. The work is classified as a painting and falls within the landscape genre, depicting cattle, sheep, a hill, and a house in a pastoral arrangement. Beyond the oil medium and pastoral subject matter, the available documentation does not specify the support (such as canvas or panel), particular brushwork, handling, current condition, or distinctive stylistic qualities of the composition.

History & Provenance

Farm animals at pasture is an oil painting created in 1650 by Karel Dujardin. It portrays cattle, sheep, a hill, and a house, and was originally part of the Hermitage Museum collection. The work entered the ownership of Joséphine de Beauharnais before joining the Hermitage's holdings. The painting is classified as a landscape and was executed in oil on canvas.

Farm animals at pasture, an oil painting by Karel Dujardin dated 1650, is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The work is catalogued as Hermitage cat. 1895. Earlier in its provenance, the painting was owned by Joséphine de Beauharnais before entering the Hermitage holdings. No exhibition history beyond its current museum placement is documented in the available sources.

Overview

Created around 1650 by Dutch painter Karel Dujardin, this oil on canvas presents a tranquil rural tableau. Cattle and sheep occupy a gentle slope beneath a sky brushed with soft clouds, while a modest house rests on a distant hill. The composition exemplifies Dujardin’s preference for intimate, bucolic scenes that blend Dutch genre sensibility with an Italianate atmosphere.

Cattle near a Barn
Cattle near a Barn, Dirck van der Bergen

Artist & collection

Portrait of Karel Dujardin

Artist

Karel Dujardin

Karel Dujardin (September 27, 1626 – November 20, 1678) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.

Hermitage Museum

Museum

Hermitage Museum

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Hermitage Museum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Farm animals at pasture?

Farm animals at pasture was painted by Karel Dujardin in 1650-01-01.

Where can I see Farm animals at pasture?

Farm animals at pasture is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Farm animals at pasture?

Farm animals at pasture is associated with Dutch Golden Age.