Kop van een koe naar links 1845

This etching, 'Head of a Cow, Facing Left,' was crafted by Cornelis Steffelaar in 1845. The composition is stark and economical, focusing our attention on the texture and form of the animal's head. Steffelaar masterfully uses line work to define the shape and volume. The cow's profile is rendered with a precise economy, yet there is a palpable sense of its presence. The texture of the fur is evoked through a dense network of lines, which vary in thickness and direction to suggest the play of light and shadow. The horn, a particularly striking element, curves gracefully, providing a counterpoint to the more angular lines of the head. Steffelaar's etching exemplifies the way in which a work of art can function as a site of ongoing interpretation. The cow as a figure in art invokes complex cultural codes around agriculture and landscape painting in Dutch art. This humble portrait invites us to reconsider these well-worn codes.