Oxen Going to Work
1855 Department of Paintings of the Louvre
About this artwork
This monumental oil painting depicts a farmer driving a team of oxen across a field at daybreak, highlighting the intersection of human labor and animal power. It is a masterpiece of the Barbizon School, noted for its dramatic use of light and atmosphere.
Did you know?
Constant Troyon was one of the most successful members of the Barbizon school, transitioning from landscape painting to rural subjects after visiting the Netherlands and studying the works of Paulus Potter. This particular work was so highly acclaimed that it was acquired by the Louvre shortly after its debut, cementing Troyon's reputation as the preeminent painter of French pastoral life in the 19th century.
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Oxen Going to Work
Constant Troyon, 1855
