Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 24 works by Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter in our catalogue
In short
Landscape with herdsmen (1652) is the Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. After it, the eye goes to Forest landscape with resting farmers (1609) and Peacocks, Ducks and other Animals (1631). Among the 24 works of Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter in our catalog, these 23 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
A serene 17th-century Dutch landscape unfolds through an asymmetrical composition, where a dark mass of trees and craggy cliffs on the right frames a luminous, distant valley. The scene captures a moment of quietude, with herdsmen resting alongside their livestock near a rugged, rocky path. In the background, the silhouette of a ruined fortification sits atop a cliff, a silent reminder of the passage of time against the endurance of…
The scene unfolds within Forest landscape with resting farmers, a work by the Dutch artist Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter. This painting captures a quiet moment in a dense woodland, where the shadows of towering trees stretch across the earth. The figures find a brief respite near a fallen log, their presence grounding the vastness of the natural world. It is a glimpse into a pastoral existence, where the scale of the forest…
Painted in 1631, this work emerges from the Dutch Golden Age, a period defined by a deep fascination with the natural world. The composition captures a dense assembly of creatures, from the iridescent blues of the peacock to the bright white plumage of the ducks. There is a palpable sense of alertness in the animals' postures; a pheasant, a rabbit, and various songbirds appear frozen in a moment of quiet…
In "Rocky landscape with falcons hunters (Allegory on the hunt)" by Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter, a wide, panoramic view unfolds across a rugged terrain. The composition is asymmetrical, anchored by heavy, dark rock formations that dominate the left side and the middle ground. From a low-angle perspective, the eye travels across a deep valley toward the soft, rolling hills of the distant horizon. Organic and jagged lines trace the contours of large…
In this 1636 oil on canvas, we find ourselves standing before a serene, pastoral scene that captures the very essence of the Dutch Golden Age. The composition is carefully structured to guide the eye through a layered landscape, beginning with the dark, detailed foliage of the foreground that frames the view. This technique of repoussoir creates an immediate sense of depth, pulling the viewer from the shaded edges toward a…
The air feels heavy with the scent of damp earth and wild foliage as a diverse assembly of birds occupies a sloping, sun-drenched terrain. In this 1636 oil on canvas, the world is a dense, breathing landscape where every creature seems caught in a fleeting moment of movement or stillness. A prominent rooster commands the center, its plumage a sharp contrast against the deep, textured greens of the forest floor.…
This 1646 oil painting presents a vast mountain scene under a heavy, shifting sky. A dark, wooded hillside occupies the lower left, rising diagonally toward the center of the frame. This slope is covered in dense foliage and irregular shapes of greenery, leading the eye toward a hazy valley on the right. The color palette relies on earthy tones, specifically deep browns, forest greens, and ochres in the foreground. These…
The scene unfolds in a soft, monochromatic hush, where the world is rendered in a delicate dance of light and shadow. A small brook winds through the foreground, its surface catching the pale, luminous glow of a vast sky. Nearby, cattle graze or rest, their heavy forms anchored to the rocky terrain. A donkey and a few human figures move through this pastoral landscape, their presence adding a sense of…
The eye travels immediately along a sharp, diagonal path that cuts through the scene. In the lower left, rugged boulders anchor the foreground, their surfaces textured with the weight of centuries. From this rocky base, the landscape pulls the viewer deeper into a valley where the air seems to thicken with mist. To the right, the skeletal remains of crumbling arches rise like silent sentinels against a vast, cloud-heavy sky.…
Rooster with Chickens1652 · Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
12
Cock and Hens in a Landscape1650 · Mauritshuis
13
landscape: cows and sheeps
14
poultry farm
15
Diana and Callisto
16
Portrait of a WifeWalters Art Museum
17
Mocritus
18
Fowl On A Riverbank
19
Caritas romana.
20
Poultry
21
Waterfowl, Gijsbert Gillisz de Hondecoeter, 16521652 · Rijksmuseum
22
Animals in the yard.1632 · National Museum in Kraków
23
Owner koopvrouwRijksmuseum
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Rijksmuseum |
Amsterdam | 3 | Landscape with herdsmen, Waterfowl, Gijsbert Gillisz de Hondecoeter, 1652, Owner koopvrouw |
 Statens Museum For Kunst |
Copenhagen | 3 | Peacocks, Ducks and other Animals, Landscape with Cattle by a Brook, Mountain Landscape |
 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen |
Rotterdam | 2 | All Sorts and Conditions of Men, Rooster with Chickens |
 Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe |
Carlsruhe | 1 | Forest landscape with resting farmers |
 Musée de Soissons |
Soissons | 1 | poultry- yard |
 Gemäldegalerie |
Berlin | 1 | Rocky landscape with falcons hunters (Allegory on the hunt) |
 Rijksmuseum Twenthe |
Enschede | 1 | Landscape with Cattle and Ducks |
 Centraal Museum |
Utrecht | 1 | Mountain Landscape |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Painted in 1631, this work emerges from the Dutch Golden Age, a period defined by a deep fascination with the natural world. The composition captures a dense assembly of creatures, from the iridescent blues of the peacock to the bright white plumage of the ducks. There is a palpable sense of alertness in the animals' postures; a pheasant, a rabbit, and various songbirds appear frozen in a moment of quiet…
This 1646 oil painting presents a vast mountain scene under a heavy, shifting sky. A dark, wooded hillside occupies the lower left, rising diagonally toward the center of the frame. This slope is covered in dense foliage and irregular shapes of greenery, leading the eye toward a hazy valley on the right. The color palette relies on earthy tones, specifically deep browns, forest greens, and ochres in the foreground. These…
A serene 17th-century Dutch landscape unfolds through an asymmetrical composition, where a dark mass of trees and craggy cliffs on the right frames a luminous, distant valley. The scene captures a moment of quietude, with herdsmen resting alongside their livestock near a rugged, rocky path. In the background, the silhouette of a ruined fortification sits atop a cliff, a silent reminder of the passage of time against the endurance of…
Landscape with herdsmen (1652), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Forest landscape with resting farmers (1609) and Peacocks, Ducks and other Animals (1631) come next.
48 years old: Landscape with herdsmen dates from 1652, and Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter was born in 1604.
Landscape with herdsmen, Forest landscape with resting farmers, Peacocks, Ducks and other Animals, poultry- yard, Rocky landscape with falcons hunters (Allegory on the hunt), Landscape with Cattle and Ducks, All Sorts and Conditions of Men, Mountain Landscape, Landscape with Cattle by a Brook and Mountain Landscape. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 24 works by Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter, dated from 1629 to 1652.
Mostly in Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), Statens Museum For Kunst (Copenhagen) and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1630s: 5 of the 23 works on this page were made then, Peacocks, Ducks and other Animals among them.
On this page, the earliest is poultry- yard (1629) and the latest Landscape with herdsmen (1652).
Trees (7), Landscape (6) and Sky (5), across the 23 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 6 of the 23 works on this page.
Baroque, judging by the originals on this page.
Landscape with herdsmen, Waterfowl, Gijsbert Gillisz de Hondecoeter, 1652 and Owner koopvrouw: the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam holds 3 of the works on this page.
Gijsbert Gillisz de Hondecoeter (1603-1653) stands as a pivotal figure in the history of Dutch painting, renowned for his intimate and remarkably detailed depictions of poultry, domestic interiors, and scenes of everyday life. Born in Utrecht, Netherlands, into a family already steeped in artistic tradition – his father, Gillis Claesz de Hondecoeter, was himself a respected painter – Gijsbert followed in his father’s footsteps, honing his skills within the vibrant artistic environment of the Dutch Golden Age. Unlike many of his contemporaries who focused on grand historical or mythological subjects, Hondecoeter chose to capture the quiet beauty and subtle dramas of the domestic sphere, establishing him as a unique and enduring voice in 17th-century art.
His early training likely involved assisting his father, absorbing his techniques and understanding of light and shadow. However, Gijsbert quickly developed his own distinctive style, characterized by an almost obsessive attention to detail. He wasn’t merely painting animals or people; he was meticulously rendering every feather, every wrinkle, every expression, creating a sense of palpable realism that drew viewers into the scenes before them. This dedication extended beyond mere representation; Hondecoeter imbued his subjects with a remarkable sensitivity and empathy, capturing not just their appearance but also their personalities and moods.
Hondecoeter’s fame rests largely on his extraordinary series of paintings depicting poultry – chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and pigeons. These works are far more than simple animal studies; they represent a profound exploration of form, texture, and behavior. He spent countless hours observing birds in their natural habitats, meticulously documenting their plumage, movements, and interactions. His paintings aren’t static portraits but dynamic vignettes, capturing the flurry of activity within a henhouse or the serene stillness of a flock gathered by a riverbank.
The “Fowl on a Riverbank” (1642) exemplifies this approach perfectly. The painting isn't just about showing birds; it’s about conveying their essence – their alertness, their grace, and their connection to the surrounding landscape. Similarly, his "Owner koopvrouw" (1638), depicting an elderly woman holding an egg, reveals a keen eye for capturing human emotion and the subtle details of everyday life. These works demonstrate Hondecoeter’s ability to elevate the mundane into something beautiful and meaningful.
While his depictions of poultry are arguably his most celebrated achievements, Hondecoeter also produced a significant body of work focused on genre scenes – intimate portrayals of domestic life. These paintings often feature women engaged in everyday tasks: spinning wool, tending to children, preparing food, or simply relaxing with their families. These scenes aren’t idealized; they are honest and unvarnished depictions of the realities of 17th-century Dutch households.
His ability to capture the atmosphere of a room – the light streaming through a window, the arrangement of furniture, the expressions on the faces of his subjects – is particularly noteworthy. He masterfully used chiaroscuro (the contrast between light and dark) to create depth and drama, drawing the viewer’s eye to key elements within the composition. These scenes offer a valuable glimpse into the lives of ordinary people during this period.
Hondecoeter's influence on subsequent generations of Dutch painters is considerable. His meticulous attention to detail and his ability to imbue everyday subjects with emotional resonance paved the way for artists like Judith Leyster and Rachel Ruysch, who similarly focused on domestic scenes and animal portraits. His work demonstrated that beauty could be found in the most unassuming corners of life.
Despite dying relatively young at the age of 50, Gijsbert de Hondecoeter left behind a remarkably rich and diverse body of work. His paintings continue to captivate viewers today with their exquisite detail, their emotional depth, and their enduring appeal. He remains a testament to the power of observation and the ability of art to illuminate the beauty and complexity of human experience.
