Koe kijkt over een muur naar een vogelverschrikker c. 1900 - 1940

Curator: This pen and ink drawing, entitled "Koe kijkt over een muur naar een vogelverschrikker"—"Cow Looking Over a Wall at a Scarecrow"—was created by C. Goes sometime between 1900 and 1940. Editor: It's charming! Immediately, I'm drawn to the almost theatrical setup. It feels like a stage set for a children's play. A naive fairytale perhaps, or an animal fable with socio-political undertones? Curator: A fairytale! I love that reading. I think it's the simplicity of the linework and the quaintness of the subject matter, really—the curious cow, the very dapper scarecrow in his top hat, and that inviting wall. They are inviting the viewer into the narrative, into the scene... Editor: The wall itself becomes this fascinating divider, doesn't it? A socio-economic boundary between the cow, representing pastoral life, innocence perhaps, and the cultivated field watched over by the scarecrow. There is almost an unsettling presence because this simple sketch seems imbued with more. The hat does add an air of dignity and that allows us to wonder and make a socio-economic point! Curator: Exactly. The artist gives the scarecrow, propped up on a wall, all the symbols of rural power! A little bit comical too. And think about who and what that scarecrow actually represents. I keep seeing more and more details that contribute to that complexity, for example the abundance of leaves and the small detail of a plant curling itself around the right side of the brick wall. There is a kind of quiet riot of detail surrounding this scene! Editor: It really brings into focus these interesting binary oppositions, such as: Nature versus culture and organic growth against human order! Even life versus artifice given the presence of the scarecrow. All layered here within what appears, at first glance, a very simple pen drawing. The detail also draws attention to that central division of social-political concerns. The work manages to weave these strands so cleverly together, I love how even a seemingly simplistic work can trigger rich meaning! Curator: And it speaks volumes for what is happening when any creator puts ink to paper. So much can come from that union. Thanks for exploring that idea with me! Editor: Likewise! This has certainly turned what initially looked like a whimsical work into a rich well for potential interpretations.