Aaron Draper Shattuck (American, 1832–1928)
River Landscape with Cows
Oil on canvas
15½ × 14 in. (Framed 21 x 20 inches)
Signed lower left: “A. D. Shattuck.”
In this tranquil pastoral scene, Aaron Draper Shattuck captures the serenity of rural New England with characteristic clarity and restraint. Cows graze peacefully along a quiet bend in a river beneath a sky filled with drifting cumulus clouds, their reflections softly mirrored in the still water. The artist’s delicate rendering of atmosphere, foliage, and light reveals his close observation of nature and his deep reverence for the American landscape. Through a balanced composition and luminous tonality, Shattuck evokes an enduring sense of harmony between humankind, animal life, and the natural world.
Born in Francestown, New Hampshire, Shattuck studied in New York under Frederick Rondel and was associated with the Hudson River School, sharing its ideals of moral and spiritual connection to nature. His paintings frequently depict the farms, fields, and woodlands of the Connecticut River Valley, where he lived for much of his life. River Landscape with Cows exemplifies his mature style—intimate in scale yet grand in sentiment—reflecting the artist’s lifelong pursuit of pastoral beauty and contemplative calm.
