Et kohoved 1831

This is Emmerik Høegh-Guldberg's etching, “Et kohoved”, held at the SMK. The work is a study of a cow's head, rendered with remarkable detail using etching techniques. The composition focuses on the subject's head in profile, set against a blank background. The formal elements of line and tone are particularly striking here. Høegh-Guldberg masterfully uses hatching and cross-hatching to define the form and texture of the cow's hide, giving it a tangible, almost sculptural presence. This attention to detail invites a reading that emphasizes the materiality and texture inherent in both the subject and the medium. The scale and focus on the isolated head challenge the traditional portrait, destabilizing established meanings of subject and representation. The cow's face, rendered with a somber gaze, elicits an emotional response that intertwines the aesthetic with the symbolic, urging us to consider our relationship with nature and representation.