Two Peasants with Cows

In this humble farmyard scene, humans and nature coexist. Each element is brought together with a shared palette of browns and greens, with the earthy tones of the cattle and the farmyard echoed in the clothing of the two figures. One of the men is literally connected to the earth through his bare feet, his shoes tied around his waist. Dominating the composition is the manmade barn, a ramshackle mix of wooden planks and rough thatch that merges into the natural surroundings where a tangle of beams become almost indistinguishable from the thicket that grows through it. Across the flat terrain, a loaded cart can be seen in the distance, with a tiny figure emerging from a cottage.

Paintings of rural life were pioneered by the Dutch artist Paulus Potter (1625-54) in the middle of the seventeenth century, reflecting the tastes of an urban art market that was sentimental about the serene countryside and proud of the farming traditions that contributed to the wealth of the nation. Potter’s influence can be seen in this painting, especially with the carefully observed cows, their udders full, patiently waiting to be milked. This work was originally attributed to Potter and a false signature was added. When this was later removed, the initials of the artist Govert Camphuysen (1623/4-72) were revealed. Camphuysen was a Dutch portrait painter and engraver who worked in the Swedish royal court but returned to the Netherlands and abandoned portraiture, producing mainly animal paintings and landscapes, in Potter’s style.