Artwork
Landscape with Horse and a Goat

Landscape with Horse and a Goat is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Landscape with Horse and a Goat, attributed to the artist known as 1489_person, dates to around 1750 and is part of the collection at the Museum of Ethnography. The composition presents a solitary dark horse and a reclining white goat set within an open field, framed by a leafless tree and distant hills beneath a muted sky.
Subject & Meaning
The work juxtaposes two domesticated animals—a horse rendered in deep tones and a goat depicted in pale, textured strokes—suggesting a quiet, perhaps pastoral narrative. The stillness of the figures against the expansive landscape may evoke themes of solitude and the relationship between human‑tamed creatures and the broader natural world.
Technique & Style
The painting employs loose, gestural brushwork that softens the forms and lends a slightly faded appearance. Thick, shadowy strokes define the horse’s coat, while the goat’s fur is suggested with rough, rapid marks. This handling of light and dark hints at chiaroscuro principles, though applied with a more informal, sketch‑like approach.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1750, the piece entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on display. Its attribution to 1489_person reflects scholarly consensus based on stylistic analysis, though documentation of its early ownership is limited.
Context
Mid‑eighteenth‑century European art often explored rural scenes and animal studies, reflecting growing interest in natural observation. This work aligns with that trend, focusing on everyday fauna rather than mythological or historical subjects, and illustrates the period’s experimentation with atmospheric effects and tonal contrast.
Artist & collection



















