Landscape with cows

Anthonie van Borssom was a Dutch painter and draughtsman who worked in the circle of Rembrandt during the 1650s–60s, producing landscapes, animal pieces, and architectural subjects. His 1661 landscape with cows participates in the Dutch tradition of cattle-grazing scenes, a genre closely associated with Paulus Potter and Aelbert Cuyp, both of whom had popularised the cow as a symbol of Dutch pastoral prosperity. Van Borssom's work in this vein is less celebrated than those masters but shows genuine competence in rendering the soft, moist light of the Dutch polder and the unhurried dignity of grazing livestock.

A broad low horizon and an expansive sky dominate the composition, typical of the Dutch polder landscape. Cows are rendered with attention to varied coat colours and the weight of their bodies. The paint surface is smooth but less minute than the Leiden school, built up in fluid, confident strokes.