To køer 1829

Christen Købke sketched these two cows on paper, sometime in his short life. We see a tranquil scene: two cows at rest, their forms softly rendered. Consider the cow, a symbol deeply entwined with human history. From ancient Egypt, where cows were associated with the nurturing goddess Hathor, to the myth of Europa and the bull, this animal embodies nourishment, fertility, and even divine power. Now, recall images of the Golden Calf, a symbol of idolatry and the dangers of straying from faith. Købke’s cows evoke a sense of pastoral calm. But also a sense of distance; do they represent a loss of connection with nature's primal forces? The simple lines of this sketch belie its complexity. It's a reminder of how symbols, seemingly straightforward, carry a weight of history and collective memory, constantly shifting in meaning across time.