Evening Light on a Wooded Lakeside with Cattle Drinking

Henri-Joseph Harpignies

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a landscape. The horizon is low in the composition, obscured by trees and distant hills. Large trees with dark green foliage surround a reflective body of water at the bottom of the painting. Near the center, two cows drink from the water, and a person stands nearby, almost blending in with the foliage. The brushstrokes are fluid and colors blend softly. The color palette includes earthy greens, browns, pale blues, and pinks in the sky and reflected in the water.