Farms

Johannes and Lucas van Doetechum after Master of the Small Landscapes

National Gallery of Art

This image depicts a rustic rural scene from a slightly elevated perspective. The landscape includes houses, people, and animals. The horizon is situated in the upper third of the image under a sky with swirling clouds. Thatched roofs of farmhouses and trees appear on the horizon. The artwork style resembles an etching or engraving with precise lines and hatching for shading. In the foreground, two women are shown, one carrying a basket and a jug, and the other holding a stick, surrounded by grazing cows. More cows are scattered across the landscape, with one near a small pond. On the left, there is a cluster of houses and trees forming a boundary, with small thatched-roof buildings in the distance. The color scheme is monochrome with black and sepia tones, giving the image a vintage look.