{"product_id":"four-oxen-pulling-a-plough-constant-troyon","title":"Four Oxen Pulling a Plough - Constant Troyon","description":"\u003cp\u003eA preparatory study by Constant Troyon showing a team of oxen at work, featuring the artist's original grid lines for composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConstant Troyon, a central figure of the Barbizon School, produced this study of rural labour during the mid-nineteenth century. The work depicts a team of four oxen engaged in the heavy task of ploughing, guided by two farm workers. Troyon was widely recognised for his ability to capture the physical presence of animals, a skill he refined after travelling to the Netherlands to study the works of Paulus Potter and Aelbert Cuyp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition is structured with a clear focus on the interaction between the human figures and the livestock. The artist employs a light touch with graphite, using watercolour washes to define the musculature of the oxen and the texture of the soil. A grid overlay is visible across the surface, indicating that this drawing served as a preparatory study for a larger oil painting. Such grids were common tools for artists of the period to transfer proportions accurately onto canvas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe scene reflects the shift in French art towards the depiction of everyday agricultural life, moving away from the idealised subjects of the Academy. Troyon avoids unnecessary ornamentation, choosing instead to document the mechanics of the plough and the strain of the animals. The muted palette of ochre, grey, and soft brown tones emphasises the earthy reality of the field. This print captures the technical precision of Troyon's draughtsmanship, preserving the faint grid lines that reveal the artist's working process. It offers a view into the methodical preparation required for his finished paintings, which were highly regarded for their atmospheric quality and naturalistic observation of the French countryside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/the-former-defender-of-the-homeland-nikolay-bogdanov-belsky\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eThe former Defender of the Homeland - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky — Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/vechtpartij-op-straat-met-toesnellende-agenten-johan-braakensiek\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eVechtpartij op straat met toesnellende agenten - Johan Braakensiek — Johan Braakensiek\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Constant Troyon","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58625147568463,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58625210155343,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58625210188111,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58625210220879,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58625210253647,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58625210286415,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58625210319183,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58625210351951,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58625210384719,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58625210417487,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58625210450255,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58625210483023,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Four-Oxen-Pulling-a-Plough_Poster_CompositorV1_1788226511812.jpg?v=1788226820","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.com\/products\/four-oxen-pulling-a-plough-constant-troyon","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}