Koeienkop c. 1822 - 1887

Curator: We're looking at a piece called "Koeienkop," or "Cow's Head," by Johannes (II) Hari, made sometime between 1822 and 1887. It's a drawing executed in ink and pencil on paper. Editor: My first impression is… raw. There's a certain starkness to the image. You can almost feel the scratch of the artist's hand moving across the page. Curator: Yes, it's interesting. Think of the cow throughout art history: representations of fecundity and nourishment, but this head alone isolates the animal. It feels…stripped of its symbolic context, doesn't it? Editor: Precisely. What I find captivating is the evidence of its creation. See how the artist uses hatching to build up the volume on the side of the cow’s face. The different qualities of line reveal process and labor. And it is on simple paper, easily available. This wasn't intended for a grand display; more of a study, a practical piece. Curator: A study, perhaps. But consider the gaze, the slight asymmetry of the features. Is it purely anatomical, or does Hari subtly imbue this cow with character? In some cultures, the cow represents patience and maternal strength, and in others a symbol of prosperity. Could this drawing invoke something beyond a mere bovine head? Editor: Those symbols certainly carried weight during this time, and that does bring an added layer. Still, for me it all comes back to materiality. The immediate, unfiltered mark-making – you see the artist wrestling with the subject right there on the paper. I imagine he made this with a particular stock in mind. Curator: A dialectic of the tangible and intangible. Both interpretations enrich the experience, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. The humble materials emphasize how art is always a combination of production and of symbolism. Curator: I'll carry a newfound appreciation for this "Koeienkop" knowing more about the artist’s craft and the rich symbolic weight of the animal in cultural memory.