Kuh nach links bei einem am Boden liegenden Baumstamm 

Editor: Here we have Paulus Potter's "Cow facing left by a tree trunk on the ground", a drawing in the Städel Museum. The cow is so carefully rendered, and the drawing captures her substantial, almost imposing, presence. What details stand out to you? Curator: I notice Potter’s technique, the specific method of cross-hatching to give volume and texture to the cow. How do those physical acts of creation, the choices in tool and application, connect with the broader context of 17th-century Dutch society and its economy? This was a period of agricultural boom. Do you see this image as glorifying or perhaps reflecting that dependence and growth? Editor: It's interesting you mention the labor involved. The artist meticulously shows the cow. The drawing makes me consider the labor required to raise the animal too. How does viewing this as "drawing" versus, say, "fine art" shift our perception? Curator: The distinction's crucial! We must interrogate the traditional hierarchy placing drawing below painting. Potter elevates it through acute observation and technical skill, turning what could be mere preparatory work into a finished piece. Consider too the consumption aspect – who commissioned this drawing, and what role did livestock play in their social standing and daily diet? Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t fully considered. I see the cow differently now – not just as a pastoral subject but as a symbol of economic power. Curator: Precisely. The means of producing this image—pen and paper—and the subject matter – a valuable commodity– all intertwine. By emphasizing material connections we ground our interpretation in real-world contexts. Editor: I learned so much about approaching the artwork as material. Thank you. Curator: A very insightful discovery today!