Artwork
Cows wading in the river
Cows wading in the river is an oil painting by Stanisław Masłowski. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1897, *Cows wading in the River* is an oil painting by Polish artist Stanisław Masłowski. The work belongs to the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw and depicts a tranquil rural scene centered on a group of cattle crossing a waterway.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on several cows of varying coloration—brown, black, and white—as they move through a river whose surface reflects their forms. Behind them, a modest building and a stand of trees frame the landscape, while a light‑blue sky stretches above, suggesting a calm, everyday moment in the countryside.
Technique & Style
Masłowski employs a textured application of oil, with pronounced brushstrokes that give the animals and foliage a tactile quality. The palette ranges through earthy browns, muted greens, and soft blues, rendering the scene with careful observation and a realistic attention to detail, characteristic of his landscape practice.
History & Provenance
Since its completion, the painting has remained in Poland, entering the holdings of Warsaw’s National Museum, where it is displayed as part of the institution’s representation of late‑19th‑century Polish genre painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Stanisław Masłowski (Polish: ; born Stanisław Stefan Zygmunt Ludgard Masłowski; 3 December 1853 – 31 May 1926) was a Polish painter of realistic style, the author of watercolor landscapes.
