Landscape with a Cow-Herd Asleep on a Grassy Bank
ca. 1650
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1957-41-46
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Antoni Waterloo (1618–1677), a Dutch artist of the Golden Age, crafted this serene landscape print around 1650, capturing the tranquil essence of rural life. Titled *Landscape with a Cow-H Asleep on a Gr Bank*, the work depicts a herdsman dozing peacefully by grazing cattle amid rolling fields and distant trees—a classic motif in 17th-century Dutch art celebrated nature's quiet beauty and the harmony of pastoral existence. As a print, likely an etching given Waterloo's mastery of the medium, this piece reflects the era's innovative printmaking techniques, which allowed artists to disseminate intricate landscapes widely. Waterloo, influenced by masters like Rembrandt, excelled in atmospheric effects and detailed foliage, evoking a sense of peaceful introspection amid the Dutch countryside's vast skies. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this artwork invites visitors to ponder the enduring appeal of everyday scenes elevated to poetic heights. Though research continues, it exemplifies how prints preserved the Golden Age's visual poetry for generations.