The artwork titled “Return of the Herd” is an Impressionist oil painting on canvas by Edgar Degas, believed to have been created between 1896 and 1898. This animal painting is part of the collection at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester, UK. It exemplifies Degas’s interest in the Impressionist movement, which is known for its depiction of light and capturing the essence of a moment.
The artwork portrays a tranquil rural scene with several cows returning along a path, presumably at the end of the day. The composition is softly illuminated, possibly by the light of dusk, and the brushwork conveys the movement and atmosphere associated with Impressionism. Trees and buildings frame the scene, cloaked in a palette that evokes a mood of serenity and the quietude of daily farm life. The cows dominate the foreground, suggesting a sense of depth and focus on their role within this idyllic setting. Degas’s use of blurred edges and loose brushstrokes is characteristic of the Impressionist technique, aiming to impart a sense of immediacy and fluidity, rather than exacting realism.
