Two Cows under a Tree

Adriaen van de Velde was a 17th-century Dutch painter, draftsman and printmaker best known for his landscapes and animal paintings. Amsterdam in the mid-17th-century was in a bustling era of economic growth, in which newly-rich merchants and guilds were on the rise as both powerful economic figures and leading patrons of artistic production. Given this, Van de Velde was able to secure consistent commissions before dying at the young age of 35. His prolific and impressive career embodies the Dutch Golden Age in terms of experimentation with hazy light, naturalistic landscapes and nuanced depictions of figures.

Amsterdam, Netherlands