Aanvallende koe, naar rechts 1788 - 1839

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have "Attacking Cow, Facing Right" a pencil drawing by Hendrik Voogd, made sometime between 1788 and 1839. Editor: Wow, she’s really charging! It's more intense than I would have imagined for a cow sketch from that period. It feels like pure, unadulterated energy rendered in pencil. Curator: It's interesting you say that. These animal studies reflect a broader interest in representing nature authentically. We have to remember the 18th and 19th centuries witnessed significant changes in agricultural practices and land use. There was also an intellectual and artistic discourse increasingly engaged with ideas about natural history, rural economics, and landscape. The way animals, especially livestock, are represented within these changing discourses really demands investigation. Editor: Right. I see the historical context, but let's talk about how Voogd has managed to convey movement using these fine, delicate lines. The details of musculature – that slight tension as the legs push off, the angry curl of the tail! You almost expect her to burst off the page. It's less idealized and more visceral than one expects from rural paintings of the time, don’t you think? Curator: Absolutely. This piece resonates with discourses surrounding animal agency. Consider the societal shifts questioning the hierarchical relationship between humans and animals at the time. What does this specific framing – depicting her in this ‘attacking’ posture – tell us about Voogd's, and perhaps society’s, relationship to this animal? How do we unpack ideas around agrarianism, ownership, labor, and, resistance in relation to Voogd’s choice here? Editor: True. I guess what strikes me, beyond the scholarly layers, is that even if Voogd did this just as a quick sketch, he managed to tap into that primal spark in nature and translate it beautifully. Like he's reminding us that there’s power everywhere, even in the familiar figure of a cow. Curator: Precisely! By analyzing this work through lenses of rural economy, historical context, and intersectional narratives, we appreciate Voogd’s achievement not only on aesthetic merits but also as an evocative window into critical shifts in societal values and our ever-evolving relationship with the natural world. Editor: A feisty cow as a portal! Never thought of it that way. I guess that's why art history keeps things interesting.