Cattle (from McGuire Scrapbook) 1756 - 1819

Charles Catton the Younger sketched these cows with graphite on paper. Cattle, throughout art history, are more than just farm animals; they embody nourishment, fertility, and pastoral life. Think back to ancient Crete where bulls were worshiped, or to ancient Egypt where the cow-goddess Hathor was celebrated as a mother figure. This bovine imagery persists through time, subtly altered yet still resonant. Even in our modern era, we see echoes of this reverence in the symbolism of prosperity and abundance associated with cattle. The posture of the grazing cow is a universal symbol of docile strength, mirrored even in cave paintings from millennia ago. These depictions tap into our collective memory, evoking a sense of connection with nature and a simpler existence. The artist unconsciously draws from this well of imagery, engaging us on a primal level, reminding us of the deep, often-unacknowledged bond we have with the natural world. This image is not a simple scene. It is part of a larger cycle, an enduring motif that resurfaces, transformed, across centuries and cultures.