Artwork
Landscape with Shepherd, Shepherdess and Cows
Landscape with Shepherd, Shepherdess and Cows is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Pieter Gerardus van Os. It dates from 1820 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject is drawn from genre traditions that celebrate the simplicity and moral virtue of country life, a theme explored by Dutch painters of the era.
The painting depicts a pastoral scene featuring a shepherd, a shepherdess, and a herd of cows set within a tranquil landscape. This idyllic composition reflects the romanticized view of rural life and harmony with nature characteristic of early 19th‑century Dutch art. The figures symbolize innocence and the cyclical rhythm of agricultural work, while the expansive setting underscores the artist's fascination with the pastoral ideal.
Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 147 cm by 184.5 cm and is housed in the Rijksmuseum collection.
The subject is drawn from genre traditions that celebrate the simplicity and moral virtue of country life, a theme explored by Dutch painters of the era. Its iconography aligns with contemporary motifs of shepherds as embodiments of pastoral virtue and the shepherdess as a symbol of purity, together representing an idealized, harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world.
Technique & Style
Landscape with Shepherd, Shepherdess and Cows is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. Created in 1820 by Pieter Gerardus van Os, the work belongs to the landscape genre and employs oil paint as its primary medium. The painting measures 147 cm in height and 184.5 cm in width, resulting in a substantial horizontal format typical of the era's pastoral scenes.
As a finished oil on canvas, the piece demonstrates the material handling and scale associated with major 19th-century landscape compositions held in the Rijksmuseum collection.
History & Provenance
The work was painted in 1820 by Pieter Gerardus van Os, as indicated by the artist’s date on the canvas and corroborated by the collection record.
It entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings as part of its collection, where it remains located. The painting’s dimensions are recorded at 147 cm in height and 184.5 cm in width.
The painting Landscape with Shepherd, Shepherdess and Cows by Pieter Gerardus van Os is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Created in 1820, the work is executed in oil on canvas and measures 147 cm in height by 184.5 cm in width. The provided sources confirm the artwork's current location and physical dimensions but do not list a specific inventory or accession number. Additionally, the available documentation does not contain details regarding the work's exhibition history.
Overview
Landscape with Shepherd, Shepherdess and Cows is a 1820 oil painting by Pieter Gerardus van Os, a Dutch artist known for his animal subjects.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Gerardus van Os (8 October 1776 – 28 March 1839) was a Dutch painter and engraver and a member of the renowned Van Os family of artists.
