Achterlijf van een koe en twee poten 1854 - 1910

This is Willem Maris's sketch 'Achterlijf van een koe en twee poten', or 'Hindquarters of a Cow and Two Legs', created with graphite on paper. The sketch presents a stark, fragmented view of a cow, focusing on its rear anatomy with an isolated pair of legs nearby. Maris's deliberate choice to depict only a portion of the animal, divorced from a pastoral setting, disrupts traditional landscape expectations. The eye is drawn to the play of light and shadow across the cow's form, giving it a sculptural presence. The rough texture of the graphite strokes adds depth to the image, while the blank space heightens the sense of isolation. Here, the cow is reduced to mere form and materiality, challenging our notions of completeness. In its seemingly unfinished state, the drawing invites reflection on how we perceive and construct reality from fragments.