Artwork
Evening Glow, The Old Red Cow
Evening Glow, The Old Red Cow is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Albert Pinkham Ryder. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum.
About this work
Overview
Evening Glow, The Old Red Cow is an oil on canvas painted in 1870 by American artist Albert Pinkham Ryder. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Museum. It presents a solitary brown cow positioned in the lower right foreground, set against an expansive sky and a distant rural scene.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a dark brown cow that gazes toward the right, suggesting quiet contemplation. Behind the animal, a broad landscape unfolds under a blue sky, punctuated by a modest house and scattered trees. The tranquil setting and the gentle illumination evoke a sense of evening calm and the simple rhythms of farm life.
Technique & Style
Ryder employs a warm palette to convey the fading light of day, allowing sunset hues to suffuse the horizon. Broad, expressive brushstrokes create texture across the sky and ground, while subtle gradations of tone model the cow’s form. The handling of light and shadow reflects a chiaroscuro approach, enhancing depth without overt realism.
History & Provenance
Created in the early phase of Ryder’s career, the painting entered the Brooklyn Museum’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century. Its presence in the museum’s collection underscores the institution’s commitment to representing American landscape painting of the late nineteenth century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Albert Pinkham Ryder was an American painter best known for his poetic and moody allegorical works and seascapes, as well as his eccentric personality.
