Jan Stobbaerts, Out of the Stable

by Atelier Liesjes

Cows are streaming out through the wide opening of a cowshed. A woman wearing a straw hat, a red bodice and a dark skirt stands in the doorway, holding a stick in her hand; she leans forward to guide the cows in the right direction. At the front are two large, white cows with black spots, one of which is holding its head low and tilted towards the ground. Behind them, more animals—brown and black—are huddled together in the depths of the barn. To the left, beneath the beams, stands a small black calf. On the right, a woven basket hangs from a heavy wooden post, and a wooden tub stands on the floor. The ceiling of heavy oak beams and the whitewashed outer wall catch the grey daylight.
The scene is everyday yet carefully composed: the dark stable forms a frame within which the light from the opening almost holds the animals back. Stobbaerts painted the coats with short, lively brushstrokes and allowed the outlines of the heads and hooves to blend softly. The palette of ivory white, umber, ochre and dull green is warm and tranquil. As such, this work belongs to the realist genre: not an anecdote, but the daily routine of farm life, with attention paid to the slowness and weight of the livestock.
Jan Stobbaerts (Antwerp 1838 – Schaerbeek 1914) was a Flemish animal painter who drew his subjects from stables, pastures and markets. He learnt his craft at the Antwerp Academy and developed a broad, almost Impressionist style, in which the atmosphere of farm life takes precedence over the finer details. His work is classified as Belgian Realism and is represented in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp. A warm, rural painting for a rustic interior.