Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 133 works by Paulus Potter in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Paulus Potter's most famous painting is The Farm (1649), whose original hangs in the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. Two Cows and a Young Bull beside a Fence in a Meadow (1647) and Orpheus and the Animals (1650) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 133 works by Paulus Potter in our catalog, the gallery presents the 100 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
A Window into Rural Life: Paulus Potter’s “The Farm” Paulus Potter's "The Farm," painted in 1649, isn’t merely a depiction of livestock; it’s a meticulously crafted window into the heart of 17th-century Dutch rural life. Housed within The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, this oil on panel masterpiece offers an intimate glimpse into a world where human activity and animal husbandry were inextricably linked – a world rendered with astonishing…
In this oil on panel work, titled Two Cows and a Young Bull beside a Fence in a Meadow, the artist Paulus Potter presents a quiet moment from the Dutch countryside. Painted in 1647, the work captures a specific stillness within a pastoral setting. It measures 49.5 x 37.2 cm, a scale that invites a close, intimate examination of the subjects and the atmosphere surrounding them.
Paulus Potter painted Orpheus and the Animals in 1650. The work draws upon the classical descriptions of the poet Ovid, who recounted how Orpheus used his music to enchant the natural world. In this composition, the central figure is positioned amidst a diverse assembly of creatures, strumming a harp to command their attention.
Paulus Potter’s “The Bull,” completed around 1647, stands as an emblem of the Dutch Golden Age's unwavering fascination with the natural world. More than just a depiction of livestock—though undeniably masterful in its anatomical precision—the painting embodies a profound philosophical stance on life and death, reflecting the burgeoning humanist ideals that characterized the era.
Figures with Horses by a Stable (detail) is a work by the Dutch artist Paulus Potter. Created in 1647, this piece emerged during a period of significant development in the artist's career. Potter was born in Enkhuizen on November 20, 1625, and his work remains a primary example of the Dutch Golden Age's focus on naturalism and animal anatomy.
A large bull's head and neck dominate the left side of the frame, captured in a profile view facing left. The animal's mouth is open, revealing a strained expression and a wet nose. Sharp, upward-curving horns rise from the skull, their rugged surfaces catching a strong light source from the upper left. This lighting creates a chiaroscuro effect, casting deep, heavy shadows across the muscular contours of the neck and…
A Woodland Reverie: Paulus Potter’s “Deer in the Wood” Paulus Potter's "Deer in the Wood," painted in 1647, isn’t merely a depiction of animals; it’s a profound meditation on nature’s beauty and the delicate balance within a wild landscape. This remarkable work, now available as a meticulously hand-painted reproduction from WahooArt.com, transports us to a serene forest scene teeming with life – a testament to Potter's revolutionary approach to animal…
For a deeper understanding of Potter’s artistic vision and its enduring influence, consult resources such as: * Figures with Horses by a Stable by POTTER, Paulus (Web Gallery of Art) * Paulus Potter - Figures with Horses by a Stable(WahooArt)
We are looking at A Landscape with Cows, Sheep and Horses by a Barn, a work executed by Paulus Potter in 1651. This piece captures a quiet moment of rural life, focusing on the presence of livestock within a pastoral setting. The artist has a particular way of observing the natural world, and in this instance, he places the viewer directly into the scene, amidst the animals and the structures…
In the heart of the Dutch Golden Age, few artists captured the quiet dignity of the natural world as profoundly as Paulus Potter. His masterpiece, "Le Bois de La Haye," serves as more than a mere landscape; it is an immersive window into a bygone era of pastoral serenity. Painted around 1650, during a pivotal period of his short but brilliant career, this work transports the viewer to the edge…
The Spotted Horse1653 · The Louvre
12
LE CHEVAL PIEThe Louvre
13
A herdsman's hut1645 · Rijksmuseum
14
Four BullsGalleria Sabauda
15
Woman washing a pail, with cattle, a man, and a dog1647
16
Pigs Being Fed1646
17
The Milkmaid1648 · Staatliches Museum Schwerin
18
Landscape with Cattle and a Milkmaid1646
19
Four Cattle1644 · Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister im Schloss Wilhelmshöhe
20
Cattle with a Milkmaid1643 · Fondation Custodia
21
Farm near The Hague1647
22
Landscape with Shepherdess and Shepherd Playing Flute1643 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
23
God Appearing to Abraham at Sichem1642
24
A shepherd with cows.1647 · National Museum in Warsaw
25
Cows reflected in the water1648 · Mauritshuis
26
A Landscape with a Herd of Pigs, The Swineherd Conversing with Another Man1645 · Minneapolis Institute of Art
27
milking-scene1642
28
Bridge Landscape1649
29
The Stadhouder’s Horses1653
30
Cattle, Sheep, and Goats at Pasture near an Over-shot Watermill1653
31
Cattle and Sheep with a Herdsman1652
32
Hunter and Hounds being Judged1650 · Hermitage Museum
33
The Boar Hunt1650 · Hermitage Museum
34
The Lion Hunt1650 · Hermitage Museum
35
The Wolf Hunt1650 · Hermitage Museum
36
Hunting Hare with a Ferret and Hound1650 · Hermitage Museum
37
Hunter and Hounds with Dead Hare1650 · Hermitage Museum
38
Vision of Saint Hubert1650 · Hermitage Museum
39
The Bear Hunt1650 · Hermitage Museum
40
The Bull Hunt1650 · Hermitage Museum
41
Man Outside a Stable1651 · Staatliches Museum Schwerin
42
Horseman at an Inn1650 · Staatliches Museum Schwerin
43
Hunters near an Inn1650 · Pushkin State Museum
44
The Hunting Party1653 · Woburn Abbey
45
Two Pigs in a Sty1649 · Museum of Fine Arts
46
Two Sportsmen Outside an Inn1651 · Royal Collection
47
A Young Bull and two Cows in a Meadow1649 · Buckingham Palace
48
The Young Thief1649 · Royal Collection
49
Rider on a Brown Horse1650 · Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
50
Halt at the Inn1650 · Staatliches Museum Schwerin
51
A Farrier's Shop1648 · National Gallery of Art
52
Herdsmen with their cattle1651 · Rijksmuseum
53
Cat Playing with Two Dogs1652 · Philadelphia Museum of Art
54
Landscape with Shepherdess and Shepherd Playing Flute1642 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
55
A Red Ox Standing1650 · Hermitage Museum
56
Landscape with Shepherdess and Shepherd Playing Flute (detail)1642 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
57
A Husbandman with His Herd1648 · Staatliche Museen
58
Horses in a Field1649 · Rijksmuseum
59
La prairieThe Louvre
60
Two Cows beside a Stream1645
61
Three Cows on a Pasture1646 · Kunstmuseum Basel
62
Cows and Sheep in a Meadow1647
63
A Young Bull in a Landscape1647
64
Three Cows in a Meadow1648 · Musée Fabre
65
The Rabbit Warren (“Spring Landscape with Donkeys and Goats”)1647 · Yale University Art Gallery
66
Landscape with Resting Cows and Goats1643 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
67
Two Cows on a Hill1648 · Statens Museum For Kunst
68
A Cow1647 · Statens Museum For Kunst
69
Horsemen near a Barn1646 · Städelsche Kunstinstitut Und Städtische Galerie
70
Driving the Cattle to Pasture in the Morning1647 · Residenzgalerie
71
Two Cows Fighting, with a third cow lying down1655 · Schloss Weissenstein
72
Cows and Pigs in a Meadow1652
73
Two Cows and a Goat1649
74
Execution of Hunter and Hounds1650 · Hermitage Museum
75
Hunting a Goat1650 · Hermitage Museum
76
Catching Monkeys1650 · Hermitage Museum
77
Trapping a Leopard1650 · Hermitage Museum
78
A White Bull1650 · Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
79
Animals Resting in the Pasture1650 · Staatliches Museum Schwerin
80
A Wild Boar in a Landscape1650
81
Fighting Bulls1653
82
Cattle Driver with Herd1652 · Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
83
The Spotted Horse1649 · Staatliches Museum Schwerin
84
Departure to the Hunt1652 · Gemäldegalerie
85
Cattle in a Field1652
86
Head of a Sheep1654 · Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
87
Two Pigs in a Sty1650 · Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
88
Cattle in Stormy Weather1653 · Wallace Collection
89
Cattle in a Meadow1652 · Mauritshuis
90
Cows on the pasture1650
91
cows on the meadows1650
92
cows1650
93
Four Oxen in a Meadow1653
94
A spaniel, Paulus Potter, 16531653 · Rijksmuseum
95
Cows in a Meadow near a Farm, Paulus Potter, 16531653 · Rijksmuseum
96
Diederik Tulp1653 · Collection Six
97
Evening Landscape with Cattle and Peasants Dancing to the Sound of a Pipe1649 · Manchester Art Gallery
98
A Landscape with Cows, Sheep and Horses by a Barn1651 · National Gallery
99
Cows in a Meadow by a Farm1653 · Rijksmuseum
100
Wolf-Hound1650 · Hermitage Museum
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 Paulus Potter | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Hermitage Museum |
Saint Petersburg | 17 | The Farm, Hunter and Hounds being Judged, The Boar Hunt |
 Rijksmuseum |
Amsterdam | 10 | Orpheus and the Animals, Deer in the Wood, A herdsman's hut |
 Staatliches Museum Schwerin |
Schwerin | 6 | The Milkmaid, Man Outside a Stable, Horseman at an Inn |
 The Louvre |
Paris | 5 | LE BOIS DE LA HAYE, The Spotted Horse, LE CHEVAL PIE |
 Philadelphia Museum of Art |
Philadelphia | 4 | Figures with Horses by a Stable (detail), Bellowing Bull, Figures with Horses by a Stable |
 Szépművészeti Múzeum |
Budapest | 3 | Landscape with Shepherdess and Shepherd Playing Flute, Landscape with Shepherdess and Shepherd Playing Flute, Landscape with Shepherdess and Shepherd Playing Flute (detail) |
 Mauritshuis |
The Hague | 5 | Cows reflected in the water, Cattle in a Meadow |
 Royal Collection |
London | 2 | Two Sportsmen Outside an Inn, The Young Thief |
Paulus Potter's career on this page runs 13 years, 1642 to 1654: each year appears here with its most famous originals.
Pick a year to see its originals.
God Appearing to Abraham at Sichem is a 17th-century Dutch Golden Age oil painting by Paulus Potter. Created about 1642, the work presents a biblical scene set within a vast, atmospheric landscape. The subject matter focuses on the moment of divine appearance to Abraham, situated in a pastoral environment. A group of people and livestock occupy the foreground, positioned under a dramatic sky that spans the upper portion of the…
More from 1642
A large cow occupies the center of the frame, its heavy, pale hide catching the diffused sunlight from the upper left. It stands as a mountain of flesh and bone amidst the rolling green of a lush landscape. Beside it, a milkmaid moves through the scene, her presence a quiet part of the pastoral rhythm. Sheep huddle nearby, their wool textured with fine, coarse strokes. The sky above is a…
More from 1643
In this work, titled Four Cattle, the artist Paulus Potter presents a quiet moment from the Dutch Golden Age. Painted in 1644, the oil on canvas focuses entirely on a pastoral scene. There is a stillness here that invites a closer look at the natural world as it was observed in the mid-seventeenth century.
is a painting by the Dutch artist Paulus Potter. Born in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in 1625, Potter established himself as a significant figure within the Dutch Golden Age. His career was marked by a profound connection to the natural world and the animals that inhabited the rural landscape.
More from 1645
In the work Pigs Being Fed by Paulus Potter, dated about 1646, the composition is organized around a group of pigs gathered in the foreground. These animals are positioned around a feeding trough, with some individuals actively eating while others remain at rest. The scene is viewed from a low vantage point, looking slightly upward toward the horizon. This perspective emphasizes the scale of the surrounding environment and the height…
More from 1646
In this oil on panel work, titled Two Cows and a Young Bull beside a Fence in a Meadow, the artist Paulus Potter presents a quiet moment from the Dutch countryside. Painted in 1647, the work captures a specific stillness within a pastoral setting. It measures 49.5 x 37.2 cm, a scale that invites a close, intimate examination of the subjects and the atmosphere surrounding them.
More from 1647
Paulus Potter painted The Milkmaid in 1646. This work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age, characterized by its adherence to Realism and its early associations with Romanticism. The subject focuses on a dairymaid engaged in the quiet rhythms of rural life.
More from 1648
A Window into Rural Life: Paulus Potter’s “The Farm” Paulus Potter's "The Farm," painted in 1649, isn’t merely a depiction of livestock; it’s a meticulously crafted window into the heart of 17th-century Dutch rural life. Housed within The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, this oil on panel masterpiece offers an intimate glimpse into a world where human activity and animal husbandry were inextricably linked – a world rendered with astonishing…
More from 1649
Paulus Potter painted Orpheus and the Animals in 1650. The work draws upon the classical descriptions of the poet Ovid, who recounted how Orpheus used his music to enchant the natural world. In this composition, the central figure is positioned amidst a diverse assembly of creatures, strumming a harp to command their attention.
More from 1650
We are looking at A Landscape with Cows, Sheep and Horses by a Barn, a work executed by Paulus Potter in 1651. This piece captures a quiet moment of rural life, focusing on the presence of livestock within a pastoral setting. The artist has a particular way of observing the natural world, and in this instance, he places the viewer directly into the scene, amidst the animals and the structures…
More from 1651
Cattle and Sheep with a Herdsman is an oil on canvas painting by the Dutch artist Paulus Potter. Created in 1652, this work emerged during a period of significant development for the artist. Potter, who was born in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in 1625, spent much of his career capturing the quietude of the Dutch countryside. His focus remained steadfastly on the natural world and the animals that inhabited it, a pursuit…
More from 1652
In the quiet majesty of 1653, Paulus Potter captured a moment of profound stillness that has resonated through the centuries. The Spotted Horse is not merely a portrait of an animal; it is a breathtaking window into the heart of the Dutch Golden Age. As the viewer approaches this exquisite oil on wood, they are immediately struck by the palpable presence of the central figure. The horse, with its striking…
More from 1653
Head of a Sheep is an oil painting by the Dutch artist Paulus Potter. This work was created about 1654, marking the final year of the artist's life. Potter was born in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in 1625. He passed away in 1654 at the age of twenty-eight.
The Farm (1649), Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. Two Cows and a Young Bull beside a Fence in a Meadow (1647) and Orpheus and the Animals (1650) come next.
24 years old: The Farm dates from 1649, and Paulus Potter was born in 1625.
The Farm, Two Cows and a Young Bull beside a Fence in a Meadow, Orpheus and the Animals, The Bull, Figures with Horses by a Stable (detail), Bellowing Bull, Deer in the Wood, Figures with Horses by a Stable, Landscape with Cows, Sheep and Horses by a Barn and LE BOIS DE LA HAYE. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 133 works by Paulus Potter, dated from 1642 to 1654.
Mostly in Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg), Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam) and Staatliches Museum Schwerin (Schwerin). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1650: 28 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Orpheus and the Animals among them.
On this page, the earliest is God Appearing to Abraham at Sichem (1642) and the latest Head of a Sheep (1654).
Landscape (60), Sky (52) and Grass (46), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 32 of the 100 works on this page.
Dutch golden age, judging by the originals on this page.
The Farm, Hunter and Hounds being Judged and The Boar Hunt: the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg holds 16 of the works on this page.
