Koeien in een weiland 1848 - 1888

Curator: This drawing, "Cows in a Meadow" by Anton Mauve, dating from 1848 to 1888 and currently residing in the Rijksmuseum, offers a glimpse into the artist's process. Editor: Yes, it looks very informal. I'm immediately struck by the sparseness of the composition, almost as if it were a fleeting impression captured in ink. It really focuses on line. What do you see in this sketch? Curator: Indeed. Notice how the formal elements are foregrounded. The lines, primarily. What sort of structure do the horizontal and vertical orientations produce? Editor: Well, the horizontal strokes create a sense of landscape, establishing depth, while the verticals, depicting the cattle's legs, interrupt the composition. It makes me feel the animals are momentarily fixed in a wider terrain, even if their shapes are quickly sketched. Curator: Precisely. We can appreciate this study, its aesthetic intent, as it relates to its structure, composition, and deployment of line to guide the gaze and construct spatial relations on the page. The lines vary in weight and direction, which produces contrasting areas of focus. How would you say this piece uses visual elements? Editor: I'd say it really plays with contrasts of line, depth and flatness. It directs our eyes towards fundamental, formal concerns, as you highlighted. I was preoccupied with what it meant to show grazing cattle in that specific period, but you're right, it really is about line and form itself. Curator: The exercise itself reveals a method; it's almost as if Mauve presents a visual problem with a set number of graphic gestures. Editor: I learned to see the work as an intellectual exercise with pen and ink. Thank you for highlighting Mauve's creative process through this drawing!