Koeienkop 1812

This is a small etching of a cow's head, made by Pieter Gerardus van Os in 1812. At this time, the Netherlands was under French rule, and art institutions like the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam were being reformed along French lines. Van Os came from a family of artists and specialised in landscapes and animal studies. Looking closely, you can see how he uses a network of fine lines to model the form of the cow's head, giving a sense of its bony structure and the texture of its fur. But why depict a cow? In the Dutch Republic of the 17th century, the image of well-fed cattle grazing in lush meadows was closely tied to ideas of national prosperity and identity. In the 19th century, these images tapped into a nostalgic yearning for a pre-industrial past. By studying Van Os's prints alongside other images and archival records, we can gain a deeper understanding of how art reflects and shapes cultural values.