Twee koeienkoppen en een kabinet 1865 - 1913

Editor: This drawing, “Twee koeienkoppen en een kabinet”, or "Two Cow Heads and a Cabinet," made sometime between 1865 and 1913 by Bramine Hubrecht. It’s a simple pencil sketch, but something about the upturned cow heads makes it feel... expectant, maybe a little humorous? What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: It feels like a stolen moment, doesn’t it? As if we've stumbled upon an artist's private contemplation. I imagine Bramine, perhaps sitting in a field, casually observing these bovine beauties and a slightly wonky piece of furniture. You almost get a sense of… tenderness? Those upward-tilted heads – are they waiting for something, reaching for something, or maybe just basking in the sun? It's so wonderfully unpretentious! Editor: Tenderness is an interesting word to use! I was focused on the sketchiness, the almost incomplete feel. Do you think the lack of polish adds to its charm? Curator: Absolutely! The sketchiness is the soul of this piece. It’s immediate, it’s raw. The cabinet almost feels like an afterthought, or a visual palette cleanser between portraits, doesn’t it? Makes me wonder what else was on her mind that day, the arrangement of objects in her life or maybe her daily chores… It sparks a lot of what-ifs, doesn’t it? Editor: It really does. It's interesting how something so simple can be so evocative. I never would have thought to find tenderness in a cow sketch, but now I totally see it. Curator: Isn’t that the magic of art though? Finding unexpected poetry in the everyday! Looking at this piece feels almost voyeuristic; as if we are sitting right beside Hubrecht and glancing over the thoughts emerging in her work.