Who painted The Three Droves?

The Three Droves was painted by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem in 1656.

Where can I see The Three Droves?

The Three Droves is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is The Three Droves?

The Three Droves is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of The Three Droves?

Museum-quality prints of The Three Droves are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

The Three Droves by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1656)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

" The scene reflects the Italianate landscape tradition, with Berchem counted among the most prolific Italianisant painters of the Northern Netherlands.

The painting depicts a mountainous landscape at sunset, framed by tall trees, with two herds being driven through the foreground. On the right, a man mounted on a donkey drives a herd of cattle forward, while on the left a boy holding a staff in each hand urges a group of sheep away from the viewer. The composition of multiple droves being herded through an Italianate terrain at dusk gives the work its title, "The Three Droves."

The scene reflects the Italianate landscape tradition, with Berchem counted among the most prolific Italianisant painters of the Northern Netherlands. The subject of shepherds and drovers moving livestock through a warm, southern landscape was a popular motif among Dutch Italianate artists, evoking pastoral ideals rooted in classical and Italian rural imagery. The sunset lighting and elevated terrain reinforce the idealized, Arcadian character typical of this Italian-inspired subject matter.

Technique & Style

The Three Droves is executed in oil paint on canvas, a medium Berchem employed consistently throughout his career. The handling favors smooth, blended passages in the sky and distant hills, while the foreground cattle and shepherd are rendered with more pronounced, directional brushwork to convey texture and movement. The composition’s Italianate character is evident in the craggy, sunlit topography and the warm, low-angle light of late afternoon, typical of Berchem’s Italianate landscapes.

Formal qualities include a balanced, gently diagonal recession that guides the viewer from the right foreground cattle, across the central space, to the left foreground sheep and shepherd. The palette is dominated by earthy browns and greens, enlivened by accents of ochre and muted gold in the sky, reinforcing the scene’s late-day atmosphere.

History & Provenance

Created by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem in 1656, the work is signed and dated 'Berchem 1656' in the lower right corner. Although the artist is believed to have resided in Italy between 1651 and 1655, definitive proof of this stay is lacking, yet the painting reflects a clear Italianate inspiration. The provenance begins with the collection of Abel-François Poisson, the marquis de Menars, from whose estate the painting was auctioned in Paris between March 18 and April 6, 1782, for 1,700 French francs.

Two years later, in 1784, the Amsterdam dealer Pieter Fouquet sold the piece to the Rotterdam collector Gerrit van der Pot. The Rijksmuseum subsequently acquired the work on June 6, 1808, purchasing it for 3,025 guilders during the estate auction of van der Pot in Rotterdam.

The Three Droves is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, specifically located in hall 2.17. The museum acquired the painting on June 6, 1808, purchasing it for 3,025 guilders at the estate auction of Gerrit van der Pot in Rotterdam. Prior to this acquisition, the work was sold by Amsterdam dealer Pieter Fouquet to Van der Pot in 1784.

Its history traces further back to the sale of the Marquis de Menars collection in Paris, where it was auctioned between March 18 and April 6, 1782, for 1,700 French francs. The provided sources do not list specific exhibition history or accession numbers beyond the purchase details and current location.

Context

Painted in 1656, The Three Droves exemplifies Nicolaes Berchem's status as one of the most prolific Italianate landscape painters in the Northern Netherlands. Although documentary proof is lacking, scholars suspect the artist traveled to Italy between 1651 and 1655; this work clearly reflects that Italian inspiration through its depiction of a mountainous sunset landscape. The composition features distinct pastoral elements, including cattle driven by a man on a donkey and sheep herded by a boy, motifs central to the Italianate genre.

The painting's historical trajectory underscores its enduring value within this artistic tradition. After appearing in the 1782 Paris auction of the Marquis de Menars' collection, it entered the Rotterdam assembly of Gerrit van der Pot in 1784. The Rijksmuseum acquired the canvas in 1808 during the liquidation of Van der Pot's estate, securing its place as a key holding of Dutch Italianate art.

Overview

The Three Droves is a 1656 oil painting by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, a prominent Dutch Golden Age artist known for his landscapes.

Shepherds with Sheep in a Mountainous Landscape, Balthasar Paul Ommeganck

Artist & collection

Artist

Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem

Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1 October 1620 – 18 February 1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and…