Studies van koeien 1821 - 1889

Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen created these Studies van koeien with graphite. Van der Brugghen lived during a time of significant agricultural change, where the image of livestock and the rural idyll was often romanticized. This drawing brings to mind questions of labor, land, and identity. Cattle in art are often symbols of prosperity, yet behind this image lies the labor required to manage and care for these animals. Consider how the pastoral image is interwoven with the realities of rural life and how different people experienced this life based on their gender, class and relationship with the land. Van der Brugghen presents a collective; he is thinking about the herd. The detailed rendering of each animal evokes a sense of the artist’s intimate engagement with his subject. It invites us to consider the complex relationships between humans, animals, and the environment. As you look, consider how this study both celebrates and perhaps obscures the complex realities of agricultural life.