De Nederlandse Koe, ca. 1587 after 1587

This 16th-century engraving, "De Nederlandse Koe" (The Dutch Cow), is an anonymous political satire depicting the struggles of the Dutch during the Eighty Years' War. The image features a cow being pulled in opposite directions by four figures representing different European powers, symbolizing the Dutch people being pulled between alliances. This work of art, created after 1587, is part of the Rijksmuseum collection and measures 175 mm in height and 263 mm in width.