Koe bij een boom c. 1876 - 1879

Editor: We're looking at "Cow by a Tree," a pencil drawing made around 1876-1879 by Anton Mauve. It's held here at the Rijksmuseum. It feels like a very fleeting impression of a landscape, almost like a memory fading away. What do you see in this piece, in terms of its form? Curator: Formally, it is fascinating. Consider the use of line, or perhaps more accurately, the disintegration of line. Mauve uses very light, almost hesitant strokes to define space. Notice how the tree and the cow, seemingly the central subjects, are rendered with a similar density to the surrounding landscape. Does this suggest anything about their relationship to the whole? Editor: I see what you mean! Everything blends together rather than standing distinctly apart. Is that lack of differentiation intentional? Curator: It forces us to consider the overall composition, the interplay of light and shadow, more so than identifying individual elements. There’s a flattening effect, challenging our depth perception. Do you find the texture interesting? Editor: Definitely. It’s not smooth or blended; it’s quite raw, almost scratchy. The pencil work is visible in every mark. Does the visible technique affect the image’s meaning? Curator: Indeed, the visible artistic labor directs us to its making and materiality. We aren’t seeing a seamless illusion, but the traces of an artistic process. This raises questions about representation, perception, and the artist's hand. It invites interpretation that extends beyond a mere depiction of a cow and tree. Editor: That’s a great point; I see it now as a study about light, texture, and seeing. Thank you for pointing those details out! Curator: My pleasure. It has helped me reconsider Mauve's artistic intention myself.