Artwork
En flok kvæg har søgt kølighed i en sø på en hed sommerdag
En flok kvæg har søgt kølighed i en sø på en hed sommerdag is a photography by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1846 by the artist known as 1233_person, this photograph captures a summer scene in which a herd of cattle seeks relief from the heat by entering a shallow pond. The image is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography and presents a quiet, everyday moment in a rural landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the animals as they disperse between water and bank, illustrating a natural response to temperature. A solitary crane near the water’s edge adds a contrasting element of stillness, while the surrounding meadow and distant tree line frame the scene, emphasizing the relationship between livestock and their environment.
Technique & Style
The photographer employs soft, diffused daylight to render the muted palette of earth tones, greens, and pale sky. The shallow depth of field keeps the focus on the cattle and water surface, while the surrounding landscape recedes, creating a calm, balanced visual rhythm that underscores the scene’s tranquility.
History & Provenance
Since its creation, the work has remained within institutional holdings, eventually entering the Museum of Ethnography’s archives. Its documentation records the date of 1846 and attributes the piece to 1233_person, preserving its provenance for scholarly reference.
Context
The image reflects a broader 19th‑century interest in rural life and the depiction of everyday labor, aligning with contemporary visual studies of agrarian societies. By foregrounding a simple act of cooling off, it offers insight into the lived experiences of livestock and the pastoral settings that shaped regional economies.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Meadow with Animals
A Calm Watering Place--Extensive and Boundless Scene with Cattle
Landscape with Cattle
Cows in a River, at Sunset
Landscape with Cattle, Sheep and Distant Figure
Cows in the pasture
A Calm Watering Place--Extensive and Boundless Scene with Cattle
Landscape with Cattle
River landscape with cows
Landschap met vee
Landscape with Cattle
En flok kvæg har søgt kølighed i en sø på en hed sommerdag