Poultry with a Distant View of Dordrecht

Poultry with a Distant View of Dordrecht from around 1656 combines animal painting with a topographic view of Cuyp's hometown. The inclusion of the Dordrecht skyline in the background was characteristic of Cuyp, who frequently incorporated recognizable local landmarks into his pastoral compositions. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays warm amber-golden tonality derived from Jan Both's Italianate landscapes, serene cattle and horse subjects bathed in afternoon light, the Rhine at Dordrecht seen through a Mediterranean filter.

The poultry in the foreground are rendered with careful naturalistic observation, while the distant city view creates spatial depth and identifies the specific locale in Cuyp's warm, golden light.