Koe in een weiland 1867 - 1935

This etching, made by Maurits van der Valk, captures a cow in a field with spare, deliberate lines. I imagine Van der Valk outside, squinting in the sun, perhaps on a humid day, carefully observing the animal. It's just standing there, chewing. He scratches its likeness with his needle, building tone and texture with cross-hatching. The land looks scrubby, but the cow is solid and sure-footed. The etching medium lends itself to a certain kind of focused energy, a real attentiveness to form and light. I can feel the patient observation, a careful building up of tiny marks that coalesce into a living, breathing creature. Every line seems essential, nothing wasted. This cow isn't just an animal; it's a record of seeing, feeling, and responding. It makes you think about the long tradition of artists looking at animals and nature, each finding their own way to make it new. It reminds us that art isn't about perfect representation but about the messy, beautiful act of trying to capture the world in all its complicated glory.