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Cows drinking in a stream in the foreground, framed by leafy trees, with a lake and a mountain beyond

Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream

Robert S. Duncanson, 1871

What you see

Clusters of tall trees frame the scene on the left and right. At lower center, a few brown cows and a white one drink, standing in the water beside some large rocks. Behind them a small fall of water spills beside a narrow bridge, and farther on a lake opens out beneath a gentle mountain. A rounded grove in the middle marks the distance.

The light is warm and golden; clouds glow against a pale blue sky, and the stream picks up the sky's colors. The foliage mixes greens with touches of yellow. Look for a tiny sailboat on the lake to the left, and the houses on the far shore to the right.

About Robert S. Duncanson

Robert Duncanson was born free in New York State and built his career in Cincinnati, becoming the best-known African American painter in the United States around the time of the Civil War. Backed by abolitionist patrons, he painted serene landscapes in the manner of the Hudson River School, travelled to Italy and Scotland, and spent part of the war in Canada. He was one of the first African American artists to win international acclaim, and in 2021 his “Landscape with Rainbow” was displayed at the Capitol for the presidential inauguration.

All 12 works by Robert S. Duncanson

More by Robert S. Duncanson

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