Koe, uit verschillende aanzichten gezien 1870

Johannes Tavenraat sketched “Cow, seen from different angles” using graphite, sometime in the mid-19th century. During the Dutch Golden Age, the image of cows in art became deeply entwined with national identity, symbolizing prosperity and pastoral virtue. Tavenraat’s drawings capture the essence of these animals from multiple viewpoints, detailing their forms in a way that evokes both scientific study and a simple appreciation for rural life. In the 19th century, the rise of landscape painting often included livestock to illustrate the harmony between humans and nature. However, it is impossible to overlook how the romanticized view of pastoral life obscures the labor and lives of those who worked the land and cared for these animals, often the rural poor. Tavenraat’s delicate lines invite us to consider the many layers of meaning embedded in such an unassuming subject. They prompt us to consider our relationship with nature and the narratives we construct around it.