Cow herd with shepherds 1690

Dirck van Bergen created this drawing, "Cow herd with shepherds," sometime between 1645 and 1690 using pen and brown ink with gray wash. Immediately, the composition is split. The left focuses on the angularity and activity of the cattle, while the right has a shepherd family, trees and foliage. The drawing plays with the conventions of pastoral scenes. On one hand, we have the classical, idealized setting with shepherds reminiscent of Arcadian landscapes. On the other, the cows assert themselves as the drawing's primary subject. The use of wash creates a gentle diffusion of light, softening the contrast and edges to give an atmospheric feel. The cows command attention in their actions with their horns nearly touching, seemingly engaged in confrontation. Ultimately, the drawing destabilizes the conventional hierarchy within pastoral art. By foregrounding the animals and rendering the human figures as a secondary element, Van Bergen rearranges the symbolic order. It invites us to consider how meaning is constructed and how established values are constantly being renegotiated through visual representation.