Kop van een koe, in een stal, naar links 1820

Curator: What a gentle face. There’s something quite affecting in its simplicity. Editor: Indeed. This is "Head of a Cow, in a Stable, Facing Left," a pen and ink drawing completed around 1820 by Jean Bernard. You can find it here at the Rijksmuseum. Curator: It looks like it’s peering out, framed almost deliberately by the wooden structure. The cross-hatching in the fur and the minimal rendering of the background is so… unassuming. Editor: And effective, isn't it? Look at how the subtle gradations of light and shadow define the animal’s form. The artist uses very simple means to create a very convincing sense of depth. Notice how the fence suggests its world. It raises all sorts of questions about how rural life was lived and seen back then. The relationship between the farmer and this particular animal. Curator: Certainly. Though, beyond the rural context, I see the gaze of the cow itself as essential. Note the directness, almost pleading quality. What did such images communicate about changing agricultural practices and emergent animal welfare sentiments? Editor: Well, the composition is fascinating, too. The strong verticals of the gate, for instance, offset by the rounded form of the cow's head, and the subtle asymmetry gives it a dynamism which transcends the subject matter. I find the drawing as a study of contrasts as being more rewarding that the cow subject per se. Curator: I find the sketch to encapsulate the cultural anxieties, and agricultural reforms. It speaks about power relations, rural transformation. I like how that works through a fairly simple image. Editor: You are absolutely right! And to see those grand themes distilled into the meticulous lines of such a drawing only adds to its appeal for me. Curator: Quite. I find myself pondering the larger implications, now, of our close looking. Editor: Agreed. Let's leave our audience with that consideration, then.