Twee koeien in een waterplas 1814

This is “Two Cows in a Puddle,” an etching made by Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar in the late 18th or early 19th century. At first glance, the image seems to be simply a pastoral scene, a realistic portrayal of livestock in a rural setting. But consider, the cow is an ancient symbol of fertility and nourishment, revered across cultures from the Egyptian goddess Hathor to the sacred cows of Hinduism. In this simple scene, the presence of these animals taps into something deeper, evoking a sense of abundance and the life-sustaining power of nature. The act of drinking, too, takes on a symbolic weight. The water, a symbol of purity and renewal, suggests a primal connection to the earth. This recalls images of the Golden Calf, or Europa and the Bull, where the figure of the animal becomes a potent symbol of desire, power, and transformation. It speaks to how we, on a subconscious level, perceive animals as embodiments of certain fundamental, even psychological, forces. Just as these symbols have persisted and adapted throughout time, so too does their emotional resonance endure.