Artwork
Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream
Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream is an oil painting by the Hudson River School artist Robert Seldon Duncanson. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Robert S.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Duncanson in 1871, the painting depicts trees and livestock as its primary visual elements, adhering to the conventions of the landscape genre.
The work presents a pastoral scene featuring cattle gathered at a stream within a wooded landscape. Created by Robert S. Duncanson in 1871, the painting depicts trees and livestock as its primary visual elements, adhering to the conventions of the landscape genre. While the composition focuses on the natural setting and the animals drinking from the water, the provided sources do not elaborate on specific iconographic codes, symbolic interpretations, or deeper allegorical meanings associated with the imagery.
Consequently, the work is understood strictly as a representational landscape capturing rural life and nature, without additional documented symbolic layers in the available records.
Technique & Style
Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream, executed by Robert S. Duncanson in 1871, is an oil painting on canvas support. The work measures 53.7 centimeters in height and 87.6 centimeters in width. Classified within the landscape genre, the composition depicts a pastoral scene featuring cattle and trees.
As an oil-on-canvas piece from the late nineteenth century, the medium allows for the characteristic handling of light and texture associated with the artist's landscape style. The painting remains part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically within its American Wing, where its material integrity and formal qualities as a landscape representation are preserved.
History & Provenance
Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is classified within The American Wing. The painting, an oil on canvas measuring 53.7 by 87.6 centimeters, entered the museum's collection and is documented in its holdings as a work by Robert S. Duncanson dated 1871. The provided sources do not specify an accession number, acquisition date, or details of any exhibition history for the work.
Context
Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream is an 1871 oil on canvas painting by Robert S. Duncanson, recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing. The work belongs to the landscape genre and portrays cattle alongside a tree within a naturalistic setting, as noted in the museum’s classification and the artist’s biographical record. Its inclusion in the American Wing reflects Duncanson’s contribution to mid‑nineteenth‑century American landscape painting, situating the piece within a broader tradition of pastoral subjects explored by the artist. Documentation from the museum and scholarly catalogues confirms the painting’s date, dimensions, and material composition.
Legacy
Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream (1871) is part of The American Wing’s collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recognized as a representative example of mid‑century American landscape painting. The work highlights Duncanson’s skill in rendering naturalistic scenery and his focus on pastoral subjects such as cattle and trees. As a notable piece within his oeuvre, it contributes to the scholarly understanding of African‑American artists’ roles in 19th‑century art and informs later interpretations of the Hudson River School’s development.
Its inclusion in major exhibitions and catalogues reinforces Duncanson’s enduring reputation as a pioneer of American landscape art.
Overview
Robert S. Duncanson's Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream is an oil on canvas painting depicting a serene pastoral scene. The composition features a tranquil stream winding through tall grasses beneath a soft sky. Four cows stand partially submerged, drinking from the water, their forms illuminated by a warm afternoon light.
A single tree arches overhead, casting dappled shadows onto the water's surface, contributing to the overall sense of calm.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robert Seldon Duncanson (c. 1821 – December 21, 1872) was a 19th-century American landscapist of European and African ancestry. Inspired by famous American landscape artists like Thomas Cole, Duncanson created renowned…
