Koe bij hek 1872 - 1932

This etching of a cow by Frans Smissaert is like a little poem, scratched into existence. I can imagine the artist squinting, trying to capture the way the light falls on the cow's back, how the animal is tethered to the landscape. It's a dance between observation and interpretation, isn’t it? The lines feel tentative, searching, like the artist is feeling their way through the image. The cow looks like she's stopped for a snack on the other side of that fence, just munching away. You know, sometimes I feel like that cow, just trying to find some nourishment in a world that's constantly moving. The image is so small, like a secret, as though the artist is sharing a fleeting moment with us. It’s a reminder that art doesn't always have to shout – sometimes, it whispers.