On the Heath near Laren  1887

From 1882 Mauve painted in Laren, a village located in barren heathlands, with only the occasional tree and shrub. Flocks of sheep on the heath were a popular subject. In his atelier Mauve incorporated the studies he had made en plein air into large compositions. These were popular on the English and American markets. His name became synonymous with ‘sheep paintings’.