Cows (after Jorsaens) Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Description of Vincent Willem van Gogh’s painting "Cows"

The painting "Cows" is one of Van Gogh’s most recent creations. It was painted by the artist in May 1890 in Auvers. It was inspired by an etching by Gachet, painted in 1873 from a work by Jordaens from the Lille Museum. Van Gogh was so inspired by this work in black and white that the very next day he showed the finished painting "Cows" to his friend Paul-Ferdinand Gachet.

The artist not only transformed it into color, he breathed his own life into it, not only returning the cows to their colors, but also creating a completely new environment around them, which is unique to Van Gogh. The five mahogany-colored cows now graze on a meadow of rich, deep green grass against a turquoise-green, sun-drenched background.

The painting fascinates with its unusual contrast, dynamism, color and energetic modulation of the color scheme.

Van Gogh only conventionally, roughly reproduced the manner of painting by 17th-century painters; he was more impressed by the work of Jordaens for its expressiveness and genius. And he patiently outlined the contours and the power of his brushstrokes to approximate the 17th century Flemish painters’ style of painting, but the vigor of the color and the accentuated strokes conveyed Vincent van Gogh’s individuality. The entire palette of colors in the painting, the pursuit of purity of tone, the force of color, and the thirst for sunlight directly indicate that this is the work of a great artist.

The painting "Cows" shows dynamics, color, saturation, brightness, decorative and symbolic, revealing the whole essence of Van Gogh’s manner of painting. He did not copy the work of another author, but simply revealed in it the northern nature of his soul.

Today the painting "Cows" is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Lille, France.