Βοσκός με αγελάδες

000067 Johann Dominik (Domenico) Bossi, Shepherd and Cows, n.d., oil on canvas, 74 × 47 cm

Johan Dominique (or Domenico) Bossi is nowadays best known for his collection of works by the Tiepolo family. Bossi was a pupil of Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, son of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, one of the greatest European Rococo painters. As an artist, Bossi had a remarkable career, working in the German states, Austria-Hungary, Sweden and Russia. He worked mainly in two genres: miniature portraiture and landscape painting. The painting in the Gallery's collection is a typical example of his landscape production. The composition develops vertically, depicting a small part of the landscape with a river on the first level. In the opening left by the foliage, approximately in the middle of the composition, grazing cows and a young shepherd can be seen. In the background lies the meadow and above the sky. Bossi was formed in the style of the Italian Rococo. However, the painting reveals that he was also keen in 17th century Dutch landscape painting. The drawing is harsh, the brushstrokes are quick and sharp, and the paint is richly placed on the canvas. The colours, mainly in warm, soft tones of ochre and brown, suggest the time of evening, giving the picture a rather romantic tone, typical of the German art of the period.