Le Taureau
1647
Paulus Potter created this massive masterpiece when he was just 22 years old, and the sheer scale of that central bull is enough to make your jaw drop! At first glance, it looks like a simple pastoral scene with a farmer, some sheep, and cows resting under a tree, but look closer at the bull's anatomy—art historians have long joked that Potter painted a young bull's body with an old bull's head and horns. This iconic Dutch Golden Age painting is so enormous (over 11 feet wide!) that it practically demands you step back to take it all in, proving that even humble farm animals could be the stars of high art.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
- Dimensions
- 235.5 cm × 340 cm
Location: Mauritshuis, The Hague
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