Liggende koe 1809 - 1859

Pieter de Goeje’s sketch of a recumbent cow captures more than just pastoral scenery. The cow, a prevalent figure in Dutch art, symbolizes prosperity and the bounty of the land. But, stepping back, we see echoes of the ancient world. Think of the Egyptian goddess Hathor, often depicted as a cow, embodying motherhood, nourishment, and the cycle of life. Similarly, the bull, the cow’s counterpart, appears in myths from the Minotaur of Crete to Zeus transforming himself into a bull to abduct Europa. The recurring image of cattle across millennia and cultures speaks to a deep-seated human connection with these animals. The motif embodies the primal, nurturing forces of nature, engaging viewers on a subconscious level with the universal themes of sustenance and fertility. The cow motif carries the weight of cultural memory, evolving through time but always tethered to its origins in the earth and the human psyche.