Aelbert CUYP
1620–1691, Netherlands

Throughout his carrier, Albert Cuyp dealt with themes he valued, each time inventing a new
image by changing the light, composition, staging, etc. He is perhaps the most well-known
painter of farm animals, and in particular, cows.
To start with, Cuyp used Jan Van Goyen's fine touch and monochrome palette, while
choosing subjects all of his own. In the mid-1640s, Cuyp discovered the brightness and
warmth of silver tones, used particularly by Jan Both and Nicolaes Berchem to create the
atmosphere of their Italian landscapes and farming scenes. The luxurious subject of our
painting, the strength of the touch, the warm orange tones at the bottom of the composition
which clash with the beautiful cold grey of the sky, appear to us to be representative of the
master. The starched touch of the resting cow in the foreground is also found in a painting
kept at the Petit Palais Museum in Paris. Without being able to confirm that it was painted in
preparation of our painting, Study of Cow resting and looking to the right, is very close to it
(pierre noire and grey wash 7.6 x 13.3 cm; Private collection, Aelbert Cuyp, Washington, The
National Gallery of Art, 2002, exhibition catalogue by Arthur Wheelock, no. 103).

Source: Stockholms Auktionsverk, Stockholm Sweden