Kop van een koe 1635 - 1654

Paulus Potter etched this “Head of a Cow,” sometime in the mid-17th century. The cow, an emblem of pastoral life, is rendered with such arresting directness. Think of the Cretan Bull, an untamed beast tamed by myth, or the sacred cows of India, revered as symbols of life and abundance. Here, the cow’s imposing head fills the frame, its horns curved. In antiquity, horns were symbols of power and divinity. Through the ages, this motif has resurfaced, evolved. Consider Picasso's use of bull imagery as a symbol of brute force. Potter’s cow, in contrast, exudes a gentle strength, rooted in the earth. It evokes a primeval connection, stirring in us subconscious memories of humanity’s reliance on the natural world. The bird in the sky, a classic symbol of freedom, provides a contrast to the earthy cow, perhaps prompting the viewer to contemplate the nature of freedom and the constraints of existence. In Potter’s etching, we witness the cyclical dance of symbols—how they resurface and evolve through history, echoing in our collective memory.