Liggende en staande koeien in een landschap 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve's sketch, "Liggende en staande koeien in een landschap" at the Rijksmuseum, captures a pastoral scene through a delicate interplay of lines and tonal variations. The composition, though minimal, conveys a sense of depth and space. The cows, rendered with simple yet expressive lines, appear to blend into the landscape, suggesting a harmonious relationship between animal and environment. Mauve's choice of medium, likely charcoal or pencil, allows for a range of subtle gradations that evoke a soft, atmospheric quality. The sketch, with its economy of detail, invites us to consider the essential elements of representation. In semiotic terms, the cows function as signs of rural life, while the landscape elements serve as codes that evoke the Dutch countryside. The sketch is not merely a depiction but an interpretation of the natural world through the artist's subjective lens. The emphasis on line and form reflects a modernist sensibility. This challenges traditional notions of pictorial representation. It invites a reconsideration of how meaning is constructed through visual elements.