Staande koe, naar rechts c. 1657 - 1761

Editor: Here we have Marcus de Bye’s “Standing Cow, Facing Right,” an etching dating back to the Dutch Golden Age, sometime between 1657 and 1761. It strikes me as…stark. A single cow, plainly rendered. What do you see in this piece that maybe I'm missing? Curator: Oh, I see a quiet revolution! Look at the sheer ordinariness, the everydayness. No grand myths, no heroic battles – just a cow. Consider the Dutch Golden Age for a moment. It wasn't about religious icons; it was about seeing the beauty in the real, in the domestic. It is a subtle statement, wouldn’t you say? A statement against grandeur. And De Bye, like a poet with a burin, finds grace in this bovine subject. Editor: A subtle statement, okay, I buy that. It definitely isn't flashy, and now I am beginning to pick up the subtle grace you talk about. So the choice of subject then becomes the key? Curator: Precisely. Etching, too, allows for a unique kind of intimacy, a certain handmade quality. It speaks to the growing merchant class, whose wealth came from things like, well, cows! They wanted to see their world reflected back at them, honestly and without pretense. And isn't there something comforting in its utter lack of drama? It's just… a cow, in a field, under a sky. Beautiful, isn't it? It’s art about being. Editor: Okay, I’m getting it now. It’s more than just a cow, it's a reflection of a whole culture. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! It is always wonderful to discuss pieces that invite contemplation and stillness, wouldn't you agree?