Tivoli Rose

"ROSE OF TIVOLI"; PHILIPP PETER ROOS (Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 1657 – Rome, 1706).
“Shepherds and Cows,” 1676.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 66 x 81.5 cm.

“Shepherds and Cows” is a quintessential example of Rosa de Tívoli’s painting, both for its subject matter and for the prominence given to the animals, which serve as the true focal points of the composition. Technically superb, the painting features cattle dominating the foreground with a commanding presence, each distinguished by its unique coat, posture, and gaze, while the shepherds blend into the scene, adding the everyday atmosphere characteristic of her rural repertoire. The architectural ruins, bare trees, and open landscape in the background complete a setting typical of her pictorial language. The palette of earth tones and ochres, enlivened by the whites of the livestock and the red accents of their clothing, is combined with contrasting lighting that enhances the volumes and textures. The work thus brings together the elements that best define his artistic personality and his unique interpretation of the pastoral genre.

A painter specializing in hunting scenes, still lifes with animals, and landscapes. He trained under his father, Johann Heinrich Roos. Under the patronage of the Landgrave of Hesse, the latter paid for his studies in Italy. He settled in Tivoli, where he learned to paint the animals he saw in the countryside. He studied them meticulously, achieving remarkable anatomical precision in his drawings and paintings. He earned a well-deserved reputation in Rome, producing a considerable body of work. The artist sought naturalism, both in his compositions and in his depiction of animals, which were often set in landscapes featuring ancient ruins. His works are represented in numerous museums, including the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Vienna Museum of History, the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, and the Prado Museum in Madrid.