Grazende koe en een kip 1792 - 1810

This detailed etching, "Grazing Cow and a Chicken," was created by Wouter Johannes van Troostwijk. The artist used hatching to create the light and shadow of the bucolic scene. The composition draws our eye to the cow, rendered with a focus on its form. Troostwijk’s technique challenges the traditional hierarchy where certain subjects are deemed more worthy of artistic attention than others. The artist elevates what might be considered mundane or everyday into a subject worthy of detailed study. Here, the lines function semiotically, acting as codes that structure our understanding and response to the artwork. Ultimately, the piece isn't simply a pastoral scene, but is grounded in the material reality of the lines that bring it into being, offering a glimpse into the structures of representation and how art can alter our perception of the world around us.