Landschap met koeien 1670

Johannes Gronsveld produced this etching of a Dutch pastoral scene sometime between 1678 and 1728. The image presents us with a serene view of cows wading in a shallow river. This quiet scene belies the economic and social importance of cattle in the Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age. Land was reclaimed from the sea and used for grazing, enabling the Dutch to develop a thriving dairy industry. Here, the etching acts as a celebration of Dutch agricultural prosperity and the importance of livestock to the nation's economy. Note the distant view of a village, which indicates the importance of the agricultural sector to the economic and social life of the region. To gain a better understanding of the significance of cattle to the Dutch economy we can examine period documents, agricultural treatises, and trade records. Such historical resources bring us closer to understanding this artwork.