À propos de l’œuvre
Les Vaches, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · July 1890 · Auvers-sur-Oise, France
CowsReproduction of oil painting on canvas
Five red and orange cows crowd into an acidic green meadow under a yellow sky. Van Gogh transforms a black and white print by Doctor Gachet into a painting of extreme chromatic intensity, where bodies are drawn by color.
Look at the work
Five red cows in an electric meadow
Three animals stand in the upper half; two others, lying in the foreground, almost extend beyond the frame. Their bodies overlap and occupy the entire width. The dark lines of horns, heads and legs retain the red, brown and orange masses.
The meadow contrasts several greens, from emerald green to lemon yellow. The small white flowers on the left and the dark irises on the right punctuate the surface. In the sky, a tiny bird silhouette responds to the black signs of plants and contours.
The pastoral subject becomes a study of contrasts: red against green, thick material against nervous drawing, immobility of animals against agitation of the fingerboard.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
The P 1765 canvas is distinguished by its five orange-red cattle, its two animals lying in the foreground and its yellow-green background painted in visible impasto.
A borrowed composition
Van Gogh does not work in front of the herd. He takes up etching made in 1873 by Doctor Paul Gachet, signed Paul van Ryssel, itself inspired by a Study of Five Cows by Jacob Jordaens.
Color reinvents printmaking
The engraved image provided the outlines and values. Van Gogh replaces black and white with complementary reds, greens and yellows which give the pattern a completely different energy.
A very thick material
Hair, muscle and grass are indicated by short, loaded brush strokes. The photograph taken at the museum allows you to clearly see its relief.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
Les Vaches is an oil on canvas from July 1890, kept in Lille under the deposit number DP 1765. It is cataloged F822 and JH2095.
A print by Doctor Gachet
In 1873, Paul Gachet engraved an interpretation of Jordaens' five cows. Van Gogh used this leaf as a starting point during his stay in Auvers.
From black and white to pure color
The composition remains recognizable, but the red-green range and the thick paste belong entirely to Van Gogh. He therefore does not make a servile copy.
State depot in Lille
The painting belongs to the Musée d'Orsay and has been deposited since 1951 at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, where it is identified DP 1765.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
The reproduction must preserve the five positions, the dark contours and the very frank confrontation of reds and greens, while restoring the thick paste visible in the museum photograph.
- The three cows standing and the two cows lying in the foreground
- The browned reds, orange and pink that shape bodies
- The green-yellow impasto of the meadow and the sky
- The little flowers, dark irises and the bird placed at the top right
Work sheet
| Title | Cows |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | July 1890 |
| Place of creation | Auvers-sur-Oise, France |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 55 × 65 cm |
| Inventory | DP 1765 · F822 · JH2095 |
| Conservation | Lille Palace of Fine Arts |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A radical and very colorful animal scene
Deep reds and bright greens create a powerful focal point in a contemporary living room, kitchen or country house. The canvas dialogues well with raw wood, terracotta and unbleached walls.
Frequently asked questions
Before ordering
Is this a canvas print?
No. Each reproduction is manually painted in oil on canvas. Brushstrokes and material variations belong to the final result.
How is the visual reference chosen?
The only image is a real photograph of the painting at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille. The file of 2,500 × 2,094 px was converted to WebP without enlargement.
Can I check the result before shipping?
Yes. Photographs of the finished painting are sent to you; you can request alterations before validating the shipment.
Are custom formats possible?
Yes. The format can be adapted to your wall while maintaining the proportions and balance of the original composition.
