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Lot Essay
During the early 1640s, the animals in Potter's paintings become increasingly naturalistic, and he seems more interested in showing their underlying anatomical structures. Like drapery, the skin of the horses in these pictures, and in the present lot, seems to be stretched over the skeletons underneath. It is even discernable that these animals are plough horses since the left horse reveals scars, especially just below his neck, where the reins would have rubbed. Other fine examples of barnyard scenes of this period are the Horse stable with figures, signed and dated 1647, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The farrier's shop, signed and dated 1648, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Probably the single most important influence on Potter was the Bambocciante painter, Pieter van Laer. Van Laer's paintings, and especially his 1636 print series of farm animals, had a significant influence on Potter and his contemporaries; however, the accuracy of Potter's descriptions of rural life seem to support Arnold Houbraken's statement that his primary source was from his trips into the countryside to sketch from nature. A sculpture of a recumbent cow in Jan Steen's Drawing Lesson, now in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, suggests that artists may have referred to sculpted or cast models, such as Adriaen van de Velde's Recumbent Cow (see A. Walsh et al, Paulus Potter, Zwolle, 1995, p. 25, fig. 11).
In 1652 Potter published a series of five etchings (ibid., p. 197, fig. IV) which includes The plough horses (fig. 1), based on the present composition.
We are grateful to Dr. Amy Walsh for confirming the attribution to Paulus Potter after inspecting the original (verbal communication, 4 April 2005), and for her help in preparing the above catalogue entry.
Probably the single most important influence on Potter was the Bambocciante painter, Pieter van Laer. Van Laer's paintings, and especially his 1636 print series of farm animals, had a significant influence on Potter and his contemporaries; however, the accuracy of Potter's descriptions of rural life seem to support Arnold Houbraken's statement that his primary source was from his trips into the countryside to sketch from nature. A sculpture of a recumbent cow in Jan Steen's Drawing Lesson, now in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, suggests that artists may have referred to sculpted or cast models, such as Adriaen van de Velde's Recumbent Cow (see A. Walsh et al, Paulus Potter, Zwolle, 1995, p. 25, fig. 11).
In 1652 Potter published a series of five etchings (ibid., p. 197, fig. IV) which includes The plough horses (fig. 1), based on the present composition.
We are grateful to Dr. Amy Walsh for confirming the attribution to Paulus Potter after inspecting the original (verbal communication, 4 April 2005), and for her help in preparing the above catalogue entry.