A View of Vianen with a Herdsman and Cattle by a River

Aelbert Cuyp never traveled to Italy, yet he employed the golden light typical of southern Europe to dramatize his distinctly Dutch pastoral subjects. He enhanced views of the meandering rivers and flat terrain with cows and sheep, animals that abounded in the local countryside. In this relatively early painting, his use of a warm, monochrome color palette reflects the influence of his older contemporary, Jan van Goyen.