Landscape with a cow drinking

Landscape with a cow drinking is a notable print created by Rembrandt van Rijn around 1650, during the height of the Dutch Golden Age master's graphic arts career. This particular piece is distinguished by its specialized medium: it was executed upon fine, delicate Japanese paper, a highly prized handmade paper imported into Europe. This material choice allowed Rijn to achieve richer, warmer ink tones and subtle variations in ink density, creating atmospheric effects unattainable with standard European paper stocks. Classified as an original etching or drypoint, the work showcases Rijn's technical genius in controlling line weight and shadow, essential skills for 17th-century prints.

The composition focuses on a quiet, pastoral setting, characteristic of the period’s renewed appreciation for localized scenery. The central focus is the cow, captured mid-drink in a moment of immediate naturalism, anchoring the otherwise expansive, open landscape. Rijn employs sparse, economical lines in the background to effectively suggest distance and atmosphere, while focusing meticulous observation on the animal in the foreground. The resulting contrast exemplifies Rijn’s ability to infuse everyday agricultural subjects with compelling depth and character.

Now preserved in the prestigious collection of the Rijksmuseum, this small-scale work remains one of Rijn’s most celebrated prints. The print is recognized globally as a masterpiece of the era’s landscape tradition. Due to its historical significance and widespread appeal, high-resolution imagery and reproductions of Landscape with a cow drinking are widely available to scholars and the public through institutions that support public domain access to digitized art prints.