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Gaspard Dughet, 'Landscape with a Cowherd', about 1637

About the work

A herdsman waves a stick at his cattle to encourage them to move towards the stream. This painting does not show a story from the Bible or mythology – it is a scene inspired by the countryside near Rome, where Dughet spent most of his career.

Probably painted around 1637, this is one of Dughet’s early works. He was still perfecting certain skills: he has used clumsy paint dots, dashes and lines to convey the leaves and branches of the trees, and the cowherd’s pose is awkward. However, we can see the beginning of his talent for creating perspective, and his technique of overlapping darker green and yellow tones with lighter ones to avoid the trees appearing flat.

The foreground scene is framed by trees. Their curved trunks lead our eye into the centre of the composition and towards the distant buildings – the domed roof and obelisk recall the architecture of Rome – and the blue mountains.

Key facts

Full title
Landscape with a Cowherd
Artist
Gaspard Dughet
Artist dates
1615 - 1675
Date made
about 1637
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
54.2 × 43.5 cm
Acquisition credit
Salting Bequest, 1910
Inventory number
NG2619
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

More works by Gaspard Dughet

(Showing 6 of 7 works)
Imaginary Landscape with Buildings in Tivoli
Imaginary Landscape with Buildings in Tivoli
Gaspard Dughet
In this tranquil scene, two men and a dog sit at the roadside and glance towards another figure whose animated gesture is ambiguous. He could be one of their group or someone running to them with news, being playful or argumentative. Various types of plant and tree are painted in intricate detail...
Not on display
Landscape with a Shepherd and his Flock
Landscape with a Shepherd and his Flock
Gaspard Dughet
A shepherd boy leads a flock of sheep along a country track between two dark banks of trees. Other figures sit in the shadows at the side of the lane. The strongly lit country path contrasts with the darkly massed trees, guiding our eye towards a light, hazy, distant hillside. Dughet has also use...
Not on display
Landscape with a Storm
Landscape with a Storm
Gaspard Dughet
Dughet’s storm paintings were among his most admired works during his lifetime and in the eighteenth century. Two shepherds tending their flock struggle against the wind, their arms raised in alarm as they encourage their sheep to move down the path. The tree branches bend and twist against the f...
Not on display
Landscape with Abraham and Isaac
Landscape with Abraham and Isaac
Gaspard Dughet
In the Book of Genesis, God orders Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah (near Jerusalem). This painting shows them walking on a path towards woodland on the third day of their journey as they approach the place of sacrifice. Isaac struggles under...
Not on display
Landscape with Elijah and the Angel
Landscape with Elijah and the Angel
Gaspard Dughet
The Bible describes how a winged angel appeared to Elijah while he was in the wilderness. He had been banished from Israel for defending God against the worship of the pagan deity Baal.Here, the angel points towards Mount Horeb with one hand and towards Elijah with the other, encouraging him to v...
Not on display
View of the Roman Countryside, possibly Tivoli
View of the Roman Countryside, possibly Tivoli
Gaspard Dughet
A wild, mountainous landscape stretches out before us, with sharp snowy peaks silhouetted against the sky. In the middle distance, just beyond the rushing waterfall, a town – complete with campanile (bell towers) and classical buildings – perches on a hilltop. In the foreground, a handful of figu...
Not on display
You've viewed 6 of 7 works