Peter Gerardus Van Os (Dutch, 1776-1839), "A Rustic Couple with Their Herd, in a Wild Landscape", oil on board, signed "P G van Os" lower left, 17 1/4 in. x 22 3/4 in., in a modern giltwood frame. Note: Van Os was a member of an influential Dutch family of still life painters that included father Jan (1744-1808), brother Georgius (1782-1861), sister Maria (1780-1862) and son Pieter (1808-1892). His mother was the portrait painter Susanna de la Croix, daughter of French painter Pierre Federic de la Croix. Van Os received his early artistic training in his father's studio, though he soon became more interested in the rustic landscapes of Paulus Potter (1625-1654), Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), and Jacob Ruisdael (1628-1682). Van Os meticulously studied and copied the works of these revered Dutch landscapists until he attained mastery of the various techniques employed; he became quite well known as an engraver of their works. Van Os eventually opened a studio in Amsterdam where he taught drawing and painting. Many of his students, including Anton Mauve (1838-1888), Guillaume van der Brugghe (1811-1891), and Johannes de Haas (1832-1908), would carry the Dutch landscape tradition well into the 19th c. Van Os took a break from painting in 1813 when he volunteered as a captain in the army, fighting at Naarden against the French. His sketches from this tumultuous time were later used as inspiration for a series of military paintings. By 1816, Van Os had once again returned to landscape painting. Reference: Benezit. Dictionnaire des Peintres, Librairie Grund, 1976, vol.8, p. 43.