Art, literature & historyTwo Cows on a Hill
Paulus Potter · 1648
Paulus Potter: 1625–1654
Other names (29)
Copper, J.P. Potter, Paolo Potter, Paol Potter, Paul de Potter, Paul Peter, Paul Poter, Paul Poters, Paul Potter, Paul Potters, Paulus de Potter, Paulus Pietersz. Potter, Paulus Poetter, Paulus Porter, Paulus Potter de Jong, Paulus Potters, Paulus Pottert, Paulus Pûtter, Pl. Potter, Poter, Potter, potter paul, potter paulus, Pouwels Potter, P. Poetter, P. Porter, P. Poter, p. potter, R. Potter
Biography
Paulus Potter (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpʌulʏs ˈpɔtər]; 20 November 1625 (baptised) – 17 January 1654 (buried)) was a Dutch painter who specialized in landscapes featuring animals, often from a low vantage point.
Before Potter died of tuberculosis at the age of 28 he produced about 100 paintings, working continuously.
Paulus Potter was born in Enkhuizen. He was baptized on 20 November 1625. In 1628 his family moved to Leiden, and in 1631 to Amsterdam, where young Paulus studied painting with his father, Pieter Symonsz Potter. After his mother died, his father started an affair with the wife of Pieter Codde, also living in the fancy Sint Antoniesbreestraat. For some time his father was a manufacturer of gilded leather hangings outside the city walls.
Potter became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Delft, but by 1649, he moved to The Hague, next to Jan van Goyen. In July 1650, Potter married Adriana van Balckeneynde (1627–1690). His father-in-law was a leading building contractor in the Hague and introduced him to the Dutch elite.
Wikipedia contributors. Opening excerpt, formatted for reading. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision.
Influenced by
- Claes Corneliszoon Moeyaerteditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Pieter van Laereditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified.
- Pieter Symonsz Pottereditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Jacob Willemsz de Weteditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
Later influence
- Constant Troyoneditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified.
- Adriaen van de Veldeeditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified.
- Edward William Cookeeditorial inference
Evidence
The biography identifies Paulus Potter as an artistic influence on Edward William Cooke. The assertion concerns Cooke's early pastoral and animal drawings, not only his later maritime work. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
Artworks by year
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Museums & collections
Documented holdings of works attributed to Paulus Potter. Check the museum’s record for current display information.
- Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK)19 recorded works
- Art Institute of Chicago14 recorded works
- National Gallery of Art9 recorded works
- Rijksmuseum7 recorded works
- musée Condé — Chantilly4 recorded works
- Musée du Louvre4 recorded works
- The Cleveland Museum of Art3 recorded works
- Minneapolis Institute of Art2 recorded works
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art2 recorded works
- musée des beaux-arts — Bordeaux1 recorded work
Sources 11
- Wikidata (CC0)
- National Gallery of Art
- Museum authority country review
- Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Museum authority country review
- Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK)
- US museum and gallery creator authorities
- Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Expanded artwork research — official museum evidence
- Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Louvre painter identity and WikiArt profile links
