Landscape with Animals

The son of a prosperous wine merchant, Adam Pynacker probably first worked for his father. He never became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke, the painters’ guild, and probably went to Italy on his father’s behalf in 1645–8. From 1648 onwards, he is documented in Delft where he may have studied with the painter and wine merchant Adam Pick. His earliest landscapes are characterized by their Italianate light, detailed rendering of foreground elements and distinctive palette. Pynacker appears to have made his living chiefly as a merchant during the 1640s and 1650s, using painting to supplement his income. He moved to Amsterdam, around 1661, where he received commissions from the newly established middle classes to paint much larger pictures for the interiors of their lavish city houses.

This scene depicts a group of domestic animals near a dark pond. In the middle distance a herdsman and his female companion, seated on a donkey, drive their cattle home at the end of the day. Pynacker emphasises the contrast between light and shade, using them to define different planes of the composition. A patch of sunlight illuminates the goats in the foreground while the cow nearby is cast in shadow. The delicate tonality of the work and the stylized treatment of foliage suggest a late date around 1665.