The Grazing Cow, c. 1650
Paulus Potterexpand_more
Etchingexpand_more
The Plautz Family Endowmentexpand_more 2015.90.1
On View in Gallery 344expand_more
Paulus Potter was among the most prominent of the many artists who specialized in depicting animals in 17th-century Holland. The Grazing Cow is typical of his work. Its low vantage point imparts monumentality to his subject. Here the cow seems to tower above the steeple of a village church. Raking light produces dramatic shadows that reveal the beast’s complex anatomy, which takes on architectural force. The great mass of the body is suspended from a clearly defined superstructure of bones. The shadows themselves are described with the utmost delicacy and variety. Some have said that Potter’s art is devoted to light as much as it is to animals.
Details
- Title
- The Grazing Cow
- Artist Life
- 1625–1654
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.90.1
- Provenance
- Giuseppe Vallardi (Milan, 1784-1863). (James Bergquist, Boston, MA)
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Hollstein 4 ii/iii Bartsch 4 Dutuit V.273.4 Wurzbach 4 Heller-Andresen 4 Allhusen (P.C.Q. XXVI, #3.4, ii/iii
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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