Kop van een koe 1756 - 1817

Louis Bernard Coclers created this etching, "Head of a Cow," sometime in the late 18th century. Coclers lived through the tumultuous end of the Dutch Golden Age, and the beginnings of radical enlightenment thinking. At this time, depictions of animals, particularly livestock, were laden with cultural significance. In the Dutch Republic, cattle represented prosperity and rural life. However, it’s difficult to ignore the ways in which class structures shaped the perception of rural life. While the wealthy idealized pastoral scenes, those who worked the land often faced harsh realities. The cow in Coclers' print seems both a symbol of wealth and a creature of labor. There’s an emotional depth in its eye that invites us to consider the lives of animals within human economies, a dialogue that continues to this day. In its quiet intensity, this etching prompts us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world.