Cattle by a Ford 1638 - 1693

Hendrick Mommers' painting, "Cattle by a Ford," uses traditional oil paints to depict a pastoral scene. The texture is built up layer by layer, particularly noticeable in the rendering of the cattle's coats and the crumbling architecture in the background. The way Mommers has handled the paint - smooth in some areas, more textured in others - adds depth to the image. Oil paint was a key medium for Dutch artists to represent the burgeoning trade economy and the impact of labor on the land. This work belongs to a long tradition of landscape painting, but it also engages with the social context of 17th-century Holland. Mommers elevates a scene of working life to the level of fine art. By looking at the materials and the way they're used, we can see how art and everyday life were intertwined. It encourages us to rethink how we value labor and its representation in art.