Hvilende køer 1619 - 1684

Curator: What a perfectly bovine scene. I find myself sinking into the bovine idyll represented here. The mood is incredibly pastoral, even meditative. Editor: That’s certainly one way to put it! We are looking at "Hvilende k\u00f8er," or "Resting Cows," an etching and print rendered in ink by Jan van den Hecke I, dating somewhere between 1619 and 1684. Currently, it resides at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. It's an exquisite example of Baroque genre painting meets landscape, with a generous dose of animal portraiture. Curator: Animal portraiture, indeed. It makes you wonder what they're contemplating. Are they mulling over the mysteries of existence? Or perhaps simply plotting their next meal of the finest grasses! Editor: (chuckles) Or maybe they are tired. In a broader historical context, these serene farm scenes gained popularity, offering viewers a tranquil escape from burgeoning city life. The burgeoning merchant class and courts in the Low Countries favored depictions of idyllic countryside retreats—idealized, of course, far removed from the toils of actual rural existence. Curator: So, escapism packaged in a black-and-white print! Editor: Essentially, yes. What fascinates me here is the technique. The sheer level of detail van den Hecke I achieves with etching is impressive. See the variations in tone, the textures of the cows’ hides? He manages to convey volume and light using such delicate lines. The details in the fur—a remarkable command over the medium. The animals really do feel like presences, don’t they? Curator: It certainly does! I can almost hear them chewing their cud...or is that just my imagination running wild now? Thank you, this art piece transports me to a dreamland. Editor: Perhaps. A carefully constructed dreamland, designed for a specific audience and shaped by very real socio-economic forces! Thanks for that, now, with that thought in mind, time for coffee.