“The Return of the Herd (November)” is an oil on panel painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, dated 1565. The artwork measures 117 x 159 cm and falls within the genre of landscape and genre painting. It is part of the “Twelve Months” series and is currently housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.
The painting depicts a picturesque landscape in the late autumn, as indicated by the barren trees and the brownish tones of the environment. The scene is believed to represent the month of November, part of a series illustrating different months or times of the year. At the forefront of the artwork, a herd of cattle is being driven down from the pasture lands into the valley below for shelter during the winter months. The cattle are accompanied by peasants, who guide them along the winding path framed by the rugged terrain.
The background features an expansive view with mountains and a river, likely suggesting a transition from the higher, barren mountainous landscape to the more fertile valley below. The clouds in the sky are ominous, suggesting the chilly and bleak weather typical of approaching winter. The meticulous details and the atmospheric perspective give the landscape a sense of depth and scale, which is enhanced by Bruegel’s use of diminishing color intensity and scale with distance.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s attention to the changing seasons and to the daily life and labor of peasants is characteristic of his work, reflecting both the natural rhythms and the socioeconomic realities of 16th-century rural life.
