Label
2024, “Endangered Art: Reclaiming a Legacy”
This painting is attributed to Paulus Potter, a 17th-century Dutch painter who came from a family of artists. His works featuring animals in rural landscapes were influential in the European development of animal paintings. Rural Scene is a genre painting depicting everyday life in an agrarian setting. People, poultry, goats, sheep, and cows fill the flat Dutch landscape.
Conservation of this painting entailed removing layers of varnish and shellac, cleaning surface grime, and applying reversible in-painting to areas of paint loss. Treatment revealed the painting’s vibrant colors and details. Specialists also restored the original gilt frame and refitted it to the painting.