Sande Bakhuyzen, H. van de | A landscape with cattle near a pond

That the painter was exceptional at observing cows, bulls, goats, and sheep can be seen in particular in his large-scale works, as with this painting. The animals are painted true to nature with great attention to detail. The cows are painted so large that any errors in the anatomy would instantly spring into view. Moreover, the animals stand and lie gracefully. The sheep and red-brown cow are lying down, enjoying the sun, while the goat is eating some grass and the black-white flecked cow is paddling. Further on there is a family of ducks swimming in the water. A clear blue, cloudy sky radiates above the sunny meadow. The entire landscape has been finely painted and wonderfully developed and it evidences a great artistic quality.