Mountainous Landscape with Cows 1663

Adriaen van de Velde’s “Mountainous Landscape with Cows” (1663) is a small oil painting capturing the beauty of a Dutch countryside scene. The painting depicts a herd of cows grazing in a meadow, with a shepherd and goats in the background. The scene is bathed in warm light, with a soft, hazy atmosphere, and the cows are rendered with great detail, their bodies and fur depicted with meticulous brushstrokes. The artist's mastery of light and shadow creates a sense of depth and atmosphere, adding to the overall realism of the composition. The painting is a testament to van de Velde's talent as a landscape painter, and it remains a popular work in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.