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What the painting shows
Cows in a Stable by Klimt is an oil painting from 1900 that depicts livestock inside a dark barn. On the left side of the canvas, a large brown-and-white cow stands over scattered straw, illuminated by cool light from nearby openings. Its spotted coat provides the brightest passage in the composition.
Sturdy wooden beams and vertical slats divide the stall down the center. Behind this wooden manger, darker cows stand eating in the deep shadows on the right. Small square windows cut into the back wall let pale daylight into the room, balancing the heavy dark brown and red tones that fill the interior.
The story behind it
Klimt painted Cows in a Stable (also known as Kühe im Stall) in 1900 using oil on canvas. The nearly square picture measures 75 by 76.5 centimeters. While many people associate the artist with gold leaf and decorative portraits, this piece sits within his broader work with landscapes and rural surroundings. You can browse his complete body of work across each decade on our list of every Klimt painting.
Where to see it
Cows in a Stable is in the collection of the Lentos Art Museum, located in Linz. You can visit the museum to see the original work in person.
Questions about Cows in a Stable
Where is Cows in a Stable by Klimt?
Cows in a Stable by Klimt is in the permanent collection of the Lentos Art Museum in Linz. Klimt finished the oil painting in 1900. Today, the Austrian museum preserves the 75 by 76.5 centimeter canvas, allowing visitors to view this rare agricultural subject alongside other works of modern art.
What is Cows in a Stable by Klimt made of?
Cows in a Stable by Klimt is made of oil paint on canvas. Completed in 1900, the work measures 75 by 76.5 cm, giving it a balanced, nearly square format. Klimt applied dark earth pigments across the surface to capture cattle feeding inside a rustic wooden barn.
