Artwork
Landscape with Cattle at a Stream
Landscape with Cattle at a Stream is an oil painting by Eduard Schleich the Elder. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Eduard Schleich the Elder, a Munich‑based German painter born in 1812, produced the oil painting Landscape with Cattle at a Stream circa 1853. The work exemplifies his long‑standing interest in rural scenery and is presently held by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts a peaceful countryside scene where a herd of cattle gathers beside a gently flowing stream. Some animals drink while others browse the surrounding grass, set against a backdrop of trees and low hills under a cloud‑filled sky, conveying a quiet, everyday moment in nature.
Technique & Style
Schleich employs a restrained palette of earth tones, using subtle shifts of light and shadow to model the forms of the animals and landscape. The handling of oil paint creates atmospheric depth, while the soft chiaroscuro lends a three‑dimensional quality to the figures and terrain.
History & Provenance
Created around the middle of the 19th century, the painting entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s interest in European landscape painting of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Eduard Schleich (14 October 1812 in Vilsbiburg – 8 January 1874 in Munich) was a German painter. He is generally referred to as The Elder to distinguish him from his son Eduard, who was also a painter.
Landscape near Haarlem
A View in the Landes, near Bordeaux
Alpine Landscape
A Cornfield
Les Coteaux de Melun
Cows in a Pond
Near Blackheath: Blackwall Reach from Charlton Fields
The Pond on the Common
The Windings of the Forth (or The Forth near Alloa, Stirling in the distance)
The Trent below Donington, Derbyshire