Pieter Gerardus van Os (1776 – 1839) | Set of 5 etchings
Pieter van Os was a son and student of Jan van Os and Susanna de la Croix and a brother of Georgius van Os and Maria Margaretha van Os.
After his training, he became a drawing teacher in Amsterdam, where he also made miniature portraits. Around 1805 he started to focus on landscape paintings with cattle and developed into a real animal painter. He followed the example of the 17th century masters, such as the renowned animal painter Paulus Potter.
In the years 1813-1814, Van Os took part as captain of a volunteer corps in the siege of Naarden, which was occupied by French troops. These experiences led to a number of paintings with military subjects. After this period he again focused on his specialty, landscapes with cattle. Pieter van Os was the father and teacher of the painter Pieter Frederik van Os.