Artwork
Cow Drinking
Cow Drinking is an ink print by the Baroque artist Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. It dates from 1680 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Cow Drinking is an etching by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, a Dutch Golden Age artist known for his landscapes. Created in 1680, it exemplifies his work in printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a pastoral scene: a man herds goats towards a stone bridge, where one is drinking from a stream. The loose, sketchy lines of the surrounding trees and rocks evoke a rustic atmosphere, emphasizing rural tranquility.
Technique & Style
Berchem used shading to create a three-dimensional effect, highlighting the animals and bridge with light. The etching's style is characteristic of the 'Dutch Italianate landscape' tradition, which often incorporated classical elements and emphasized natural settings.
Context
As a member of the second generation of 'Dutch Italianate landscape' painters, Berchem drew on established conventions while contributing to the evolution of the genre.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1 October 1620 – 18 February 1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and…
