Artwork
A Shepherd and His Flock
A Shepherd and His Flock is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Aelbert Cuyp. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Städel Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1650, *A Shepherd and His Flock* is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age artist Aelbert Cuyp. The work portrays a pastoral scene in which a shepherd, accompanied by a dog, watches over a group of grazing sheep while a distant town lies under a cloud‑filled sky. The painting belongs to the Städel Museum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on the routine of rural life, emphasizing the quiet relationship between the shepherd and his flock. By placing the figure on the left and directing his gaze toward the viewer, Cuyp invites contemplation of the simple, harmonious existence of pastoral labor.
Technique & Style
Cuyp employs chiaroscuro to model forms, allowing the warm, low‑sunlight to generate elongated shadows that suggest depth. His brushwork is confident and textured, lending a lively surface quality to the landscape and the figures within it.
History & Provenance
Born in Dordrecht in 1620, Cuyp was trained by his father Jacob Gerritszoon Cuyp and became known for luminous river scenes. *A Shepherd and His Flock* reflects his mature period and has remained in the Städel Museum’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of their Dutch Baroque collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Aelbert Jacobszoon Cuyp or Cuijp (Dutch pronunciation: ; 20 October 1620 – 15 November 1691) was one of the leading Dutch Golden Age painters, producing mainly landscapes.
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Landscape with the Flight into Egypt
Piping Shepherds
Travellers in Hilly Countryside
A Chief Merchant of the VOC with his Wife and an Enslaved Servant
