Cattle Herd 1641

pencil drawn

amateur sketch

light pencil work

pencil sketch

incomplete sketchy

charcoal drawing

pencil drawing

pencil work

fantasy sketch

watercolor

Paulus Potter's "Cattle Herd," a 1641 drawing housed in the Rijksmuseum, showcases the artist's mastery of animal representation. The detailed depiction of a group of cows grazing in a landscape, characterized by its meticulous rendering of fur and musculature, highlights Potter's keen observation of nature. The work stands as a testament to the artist's skill in capturing the subtle nuances of animal anatomy and their interaction with their environment. This drawing, a fine example of Dutch Golden Age art, exemplifies Potter's signature style of animal studies.

Comments

rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

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Even though this is one of his earliest drawings, the teenage Paulus Potter nevertheless portrayed the anatomy of the cow’s body with consummate skill. The hide appears to be stretched over the skeleton, as it were. He probably used sculpted or cast models of animals, which he drew from various angles. In this drawing the same standing cow is seen from the back, the side, and the front.