Pastoral Landscape
Artist: Nicolaes Berchem the Elder (Dutch, 1620-1683)
Date: 1649
Dimensions:
H: 27 1/2 in. (69.9 cm); W: 32 7/8 in. (84 cm)
Medium: Oil on wood panel
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1955.82
Label Text:While depictions of landscape scenes that were quintessentially Dutch—flat fields dotted with canals and windmills, low horizons and endless skies—became very popular in The Netherlands in the 1600s, a more fanciful, romantic genre inspired by the Italian landscape was also widely collected by Dutch art lovers. These paintings often featured rugged mountainous scenes peopled by travelers or idealized peasants occupied by rustic pursuits.
Haarlem artist Nicolaes Berchem specialized in such scenes. He traveled to Rome in 1642 or 43, staying until 1645. This extended visit deeply influenced his style. His pictures are mostly Italianate landscapes seen through a golden haze. In this painting Berchem populates the dramatic landscape with cattle and goats, a shepherdess milking a cow while it’s held steady by a pointing shepherd in ragged clothing, and a second woman taking a break from spinning wool (look for the distaff lying near a large water jug) to cradle a small child.
Haarlem artist Nicolaes Berchem specialized in such scenes. He traveled to Rome in 1642 or 43, staying until 1645. This extended visit deeply influenced his style. His pictures are mostly Italianate landscapes seen through a golden haze. In this painting Berchem populates the dramatic landscape with cattle and goats, a shepherdess milking a cow while it’s held steady by a pointing shepherd in ragged clothing, and a second woman taking a break from spinning wool (look for the distaff lying near a large water jug) to cradle a small child.
Not on view
In Collection(s)