Karel Dujardin, 'Farm Animals with a Boy and Herdswoman', 1656
About the work
Overview
The sun catches the face of a sheep lying in the shade of a tree. Light filters down through the leaves on to its thick curly fleece, painted in exquisite detail by Karel Dujardin.
Dujardin has added a quirkiness to his figures, giving them real humanity. The herdswoman has found the tedious business of spinning too much in the heat of the day and has dropped her distaff and spindle. The little boy makes the dog sit up and beg but, finger to his lips, has a thought for the sleeping woman.
The scene is one of pure imagination, adapted from sketches Dujardin made in the countryside surrounding Rome. He gathered motifs he could use in landscapes he made after his return to the Netherlands. There, he had a successful career as a painter of the idyllic Italianate landscapes that were so popular with Dutch collectors.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Farm Animals in the Shade of a Tree, with a Boy and a Sleeping Herdswoman
- Artist
- Karel Dujardin
- Artist dates
- 1626 - 1678
- Date made
- 1656
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 34.6 × 39.7 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed; Dated
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1871
- Inventory number
- NG826
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
About this record
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