A Hilly River Landscape with a Horseman talking to a Shepherdess

The scarlet coat of the horseman catches our attention and we instinctively follow the direction of his whip, which he points away into the distance. And the concept of distance - just as much as the animals and figures in the foreground - is at the heart of this painting. Aelbert Cuyp has constructed the scene so that our eye is consistently drawn from near to far. A series of diagonal lines leads away towards the unseen horizon and is repeated several times, receding ever deeper into the landscape.

Cuyp has also infused the scene with a deep pastoral tranquillity. The golden glow of the evening sun highlights the contentment of the livestock, especially the cattle which lie quietly chewing in the centre of the scene. Cuyp was especially well-known for his cows - for his ability to make them seem real, to suggest the weight of their horned heads, their sleepy eyes, their solidity and their strength.

Credit: Bought, 1824