A serene pastoral scene, which is signed and dated in the lower left corner, the subjects of this large oil on canvas painting are three cows standing at the end of a small stream. A blue sky with gray clouds can be seen above the surrounding forest, whose trees are still flush with mostly green leaves, most likely depicting late summer or early autumn.

Two of the cows are tan in color (one of them is drinking from the water), while the third is brown with white. Behind them is the cow keeper: a woman in an ankle-length blue dress with a red scarf around her neck, a white head wrap, and a cream colored sash at her waist. Small sandy beaches with rocks break up the thick grass that encompasses the brook. The thick, giltwood frame surrounding the painting has been carved with foliate borders, spiral fluting wrapped around beading, and a repeating egg and dart motif.

Charles Joseph Node was born in Marseilles, France in 1811. Specializing in still life (nature morte) portraits, Node was also an accomplished landscape artist, sometimes incorporating animals and figures into his scenes. Node debuted at the Salon de Paris in 1845, exhibiting quite often there. Several of Node’s pieces can be seen in the Musee Fabre in Montpellier.

Measuring nearly 5 feet in total width, this striking antique pastoral cow painting from France will become the focal point of any room.

CONDITION: Very good antique condition, with minor age separations and losses to the giltwood frame. The frame is not rigged for hanging.