Kop van een koe 1775 - 1833

Jean Bernard made this drawing of a cow’s head in the Netherlands sometime before 1833. It’s a modest work, but it reminds us that the Dutch economy rested on agriculture, and particularly on dairy farming. Drawings like this one served multiple purposes. On one hand, they were exercises in observation and technique. The artist is training his eye and hand to accurately represent the natural world. But they also served as models for prints or other artworks. The Dutch Republic was famous for its innovative farming practices, and for the scientific study of agriculture. These new developments were driven by the need to feed a growing urban population and this drawing reflects that interest in the rural economy. If we want to understand the social meaning of a simple image like this, we have to look into Dutch agricultural history and the changing relationship between city and countryside in the 18th and 19th centuries.