Artwork
Resting Cows
Resting Cows is an ink print by the Baroque artist Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Resting Cows is an etching created by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem in 1652. The work is representative of Berchem's oeuvre, which often featured rural scenes and landscapes.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts three cows at rest in a field beside a tree, with one cow facing the viewer and the others turned away. The scene is characteristic of Berchem's idealized rural landscapes.
Technique & Style
The etching showcases Berchem's use of drypoint, evident in the soft shading under the cows. Drypoint is a technique that involves scratching the plate to create textured lines.
History & Provenance
Berchem was a Dutch Golden Age painter and etcher active in the 17th century, a time when prints were sold to a broad audience. His work was influenced by his contemporaries and the classical imagery he encountered during his travels.
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…
