Philipp Jacob/Jacques Loutherbourg (1740-1812) - Attributed, Southern Landscape with Shepherds and Cows

Philipp Jacob Loutherbourg, who came from Strasbourg, trained under Carle Vanloo in Paris and was admitted to the Academy in 1767. In 1771 he settled in England. He was a respected painter in his day, but his work is often underestimated by critics today.

The painting shows an idyllic pastoral scene among the rocks in the high mountains. In the foreground, a cow with red fur lies on a lighted spot. The sheep in front of her seem to have noticed the viewer. The black-brown cow, on the other hand, looks towards the valley. On the left edge of the painting, a shepherd is leaning against a rock and playing the shalmai. In the middle distance to the right, a couple of shepherds lie in the shadow of the rocks, and further back are more cows. Shrubs and small trees tower over the rocks against the late afternoon summer sky. The drawing of the brushes in the foreground is somewhat superficial. Animals and characters are accurately captured. The composition, color and atmospheric landscape design are typical of Loutherbourg, so they make attribution easy.
, Oil on wood, 22 × 23 cm