Drie liggende koeien 1862 - 1910

Editor: Here we have "Drie liggende koeien," or "Three Lying Cows," by Alphonse Stengelin, likely created sometime between 1862 and 1910. It's a pencil drawing, and I find the composition quite striking. The framing, the horizontal layout of the cows... it all feels very deliberate, but quite peaceful too. What do you see in this piece, considering its formal elements? Curator: What arrests my attention is how Stengelin utilizes the pencil. Note the varying pressure of the strokes. In the foreground cow, observe the clear definition achieved through distinct hatching and cross-hatching, imbuing a sense of immediacy. Compare this to the gentler gradients used for the two cows in the rear, where lighter, almost ephemeral lines denote recession. This deliberate juxtaposition suggests an engagement with depth not through perspective alone, but also through mark-making itself. Editor: So the way he handles the pencil creates a sense of depth and draws the eye? Curator: Precisely. Consider also the conscious framing. The tight enclosure directs focus inwards, elevating what might have been an incidental pastoral sketch into a composed study of form and light. It encourages us to see not just cows, but the inherent geometry in their reclining postures. Tell me, do you see any symbolic weight, or just a landscape drawing? Editor: Honestly, I mostly see a well-executed, serene, scene. Maybe the framing suggests a controlled environment, like these cows are somehow domesticated and bound? Curator: An astute observation. One could interpret the confinement as symbolic of humanity's dominion over nature. Yet, observe the softness in their forms, the subtle gradation in tone; it suggests a certain reverence, perhaps a yearning for connection, mitigating any forceful assertion of control. Editor: That’s a fascinating perspective. I was focused on the cows, but seeing the framing and technique as actively contributing meaning is insightful. Curator: And I found your comment of peace important. A formal reading is enriched through engagement with the emotion the work produces in you as a viewer.