Landschap met koeien en schapen 1847 - 1860

This landscape with cows and sheep was made by Hendrikus van de Sande Bakhuyzen. At first glance, we see an idyllic scene, yet the symbols here evoke deeper connections. The windmill on the horizon, a quintessential Dutch motif, speaks not just of landscape but of human industry shaping the natural world. The cow, a symbol of nourishment and pastoral life, grazing peacefully by the water, is a common image that stretches back to ancient pastoral traditions. But consider this: the cow, in its serene consumption, echoes the ancient symbol of the ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail. This emblem of cyclical regeneration, of life feeding on life, finds its echo in the Dutch landscape. It's a reminder that even in tranquility, the forces of nature, of creation and destruction, are ever at play. In viewing this image we are subconsciously reminded of the rhythms of life, death, and rebirth.