Liggende koe, van voren 1816

Curator: Up next, we have “Liggende koe, van voren,” or "Lying Cow, From the Front," a drawing created with pencil on paper by Jean Bernard around 1816. You can find this work housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There's something immediately arresting about her gaze, isn’t there? A lazy bovine stare, perhaps, but it feels remarkably present. The quick strokes capture such weight and quietude, I can almost feel the warmth rising from the grass she lies upon. Curator: It's remarkable how Bernard uses the simplest means to evoke such a sense of life, isn't it? During this period, the Dutch art scene saw a surge in landscape and animal studies, reflecting a renewed interest in rural life after the Napoleonic era. Editor: The economy, as it usually does, trickling down into art... I love the lack of sentimentality, too. Cows often serve as idyllic pastoral symbols, but here she’s just… a cow. Grounded. Very...Dutch, actually. It makes you consider our relationship to the animals that sustain us in an unadorned light. Curator: Exactly! And one has to remember the influence of the Dutch Masters. Even in these informal studies there is that pursuit of almost scientific accuracy, a desire to render the animal honestly, warts and all. Though I believe this one may not have any! Editor: (Laughing) A fair point. The sketch-like quality makes it all feel very immediate. One can imagine Bernard quickly capturing the cow before it moves on. What could that landscape look like, I wonder, with its serene watcher at the center? Curator: That's part of its enduring appeal, isn’t it? It's a quiet invitation into a fleeting moment, a chance to reflect on the everyday beauty of the natural world. Editor: It speaks to the value in observing and appreciating these unassuming existences. Bernard, in this humble sketch, allows us an intimate audience with a contented cow. Curator: Absolutely. So, before we move on, take another moment with Bernard's cow, and consider what other everyday encounters you can find the beauty and artistry in.