En liggende ko 1850 - 1899

Johannes Wilhelm Zillen created this small etching of a resting cow sometime in the mid-19th century. Etching is an indirect printmaking technique, where the artist protects a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratches an image into the ground with a needle. When acid is applied, it bites into the metal only where exposed. The plate is then inked, and the image transferred to paper under pressure. Here, the etching process lends itself beautifully to describing the animal’s bulk and texture, as well as the rough ground that surrounds it. Through the skilled application of the technique, the lines vary in weight and depth, creating the illusion of light and shadow. Zillen's choice of subject matter speaks to the increasing importance of livestock in the 19th-century rural economy, reflecting a world where animals were both a source of sustenance and a symbol of prosperity. This seemingly simple image invites us to consider the relationship between art, labor, and the everyday realities of rural life.