Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Young Herdsmen with Cows

ca. 1655–60
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 615

Sun-streaked clouds scudding across the sky dominate this placid landscape, a classic example of the luminous style that made Cuyp a beloved artist among eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collectors. Based on studies made in nature, the painting is nonetheless a studio confection. Resting livestock and agrarian laborers appear as timeless parts of the landscape in a reassuring vision for the landowning collectors able to display such a monumental scene.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Young Herdsmen with Cows
  • Artist: Aelbert Cuyp (Dutch, Dordrecht 1620–1691 Dordrecht)
  • Date: ca. 1655–60
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 44 1/8 x 52 1/8 in. (112.1 x 132.4 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
  • Object Number: 14.40.616
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
Equestrian Portrait of Cornelis (1639–1680) and Michiel Pompe van Meerdervoort (1638–1653) with Their Tutor and Coachman, Aelbert Cuyp Dutch, Oil on canvas
Equestrian Portrait of Cornelis (1639–1680) and Michiel Pompe van Meerdervoort (1638–1653) with Their Tutor and Coachman
Aelbert Cuyp
ca. 1652–53
Soprano Recorder in B, Thomas Coenraet Boekhout Dutch, Ebony, ivory, Dutch
Soprano Recorder in B
Thomas Coenraet Boekhout
ca. 1700
Piazza San Marco, Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) Italian, Oil on canvas
Piazza San Marco
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal)
late 1720s
Wheat Fields, Jacob van Ruisdael Dutch, Oil on canvas
Wheat Fields
Jacob van Ruisdael
ca. 1670
Study of Two Cows, Aelbert Cuyp Dutch, Black chalk and black and gray wash (remains of framingline in red chalk)
Study of Two Cows
Aelbert Cuyp
17th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.