Koeien in een weiland 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve’s pencil drawing, "Cows in a Meadow," presents a landscape distilled to its essential forms. Linear marks define the shapes of cows, their bodies rendered with an economy of line that captures their mass and posture. The composition is structured by a clear horizontal division, where the upper register suggests the open space of the meadow, articulated through layered, horizontal strokes. The cows are positioned along the middle ground, their forms overlapping to create a sense of depth and spatial recession. Mauve uses a semiotic language of gesture to convey movement and volume within a pastoral scene. This is particularly noticeable in how the marks vary in pressure and direction to suggest shadow and light, giving form to the reclining animals. The sketch privileges process over product. It functions as a study in how line alone can delineate form and space, inviting viewers to complete the scene with their imagination. It is not just a representation but an invitation to participate in the act of seeing.