Artwork

Landscape with a Cart Driven by Bullocks

Landscape with a Cart Driven by  Bullocks, by Abraham Begeyn, oil, 1664
Landscape with a Cart Driven by  Bullocks, by Abraham Begeyn, oil, 1664

Landscape with a Cart Driven by Bullocks is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Abraham Begeyn. It dates from 1664 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

Abraham Begeyn’s 1664 oil painting, Landscape with a Cart Driven by Bullocks, is part of the collection of the State Hermitage Museum. The work presents a rural tableau in which a loaded wagon is pulled by two oxen, while a third ox stands nearby. The scene unfolds under a muted sky, with distant hills receding into the background.

Subject & Meaning

The composition captures a moment of everyday labor, emphasizing the interdependence of humans and draft animals in a 17th‑century countryside. Figures in modest attire pause along the path, some walking, others resting, suggesting a pause in the rhythm of work. A small dog wades in the mud, adding a touch of domestic realism.

Technique & Style

Begeyn employs a loose, gestural brushwork that conveys texture and movement without meticulous detail. Earthy tones of brown, gray and subdued green dominate the palette, reinforcing the natural setting. The handling of light and atmospheric perspective gives the landscape a lived‑in, almost tactile quality.

History & Provenance

Created in 1664, the painting entered the Hermitage’s holdings during the museum’s early acquisitions of Dutch art. Its presence in the Russian collection reflects the broader 18th‑century interest in Dutch genre scenes, which were prized for their depiction of quotidian life.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Abraham Begeyn

Artist

Abraham Begeyn

Abraham Begeyn (1637–1697) was an artist, born in Leiden.

Hermitage Museum

Museum

Hermitage Museum

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Hermitage Museum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.