Artwork
Kühe mit Kindern und Enten am Wasser beim Zürichhorn
Kühe mit Kindern und Enten am Wasser beim Zürichhorn is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Rudolf Koller. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Rudolf Koller’s 1888 oil painting *Kühe mit Kindern und Enten am Wasser beim Zürichhorn* presents a tranquil lakeside scene near Zürich’s waterfront park. A white cow dominates the foreground while several other cows and a flock of ducks mingle amid trees and water. The composition balances the animals with their natural surroundings, conveying a calm, pastoral atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on domestic cattle and their young, accompanied by ducks, all gathered at the water’s edge. By placing the animals in a familiar, everyday setting, Koller emphasizes the gentle relationship between humans, livestock, and the landscape, reflecting a reverence for rural life that was central to Swiss visual culture of the period.
Technique & Style
Executed en plein air, the painting combines realist detail with an impressionistic handling of light and color. Visible brushstrokes and modest impasto give texture to foliage and water, while the overall palette remains muted, reinforcing the scene’s serenity. Koller’s approach merges the Düsseldorf school’s classicist rigor with a softer, atmospheric sensibility.
History & Provenance
Created in 1888, the canvas entered the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remains on display. Throughout his career Koller earned recognition for his animal studies, often compared to those of Rosa Bonheur, and this piece exemplifies the mature phase of his work, integrating his skillful observation with a lyrical treatment of the Swiss countryside.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rudolf Koller (21 May 1828 – 5 January 1905) was a Swiss painter. He is associated with a realist and classicist style, and also with the essentially romantic Düsseldorf school of painting. Koller's style is similar to…
