Prize Cow 1977

Alex Colville's "Prize Cow" is a moment captured with incredible detail and care. The painting is made with this almost photographic realism, but it's softened by a gentle colour palette, like a memory fading in the sun. You get the feeling that artmaking is a considered process with Colville, a labor of love, almost. Look at the texture of the cow's coat. See the tiny, precise strokes that build up the fur, how the light catches it just so. The artist uses short lines, creating a sense of depth and volume in the cow's body, yet the attention to detail isn't distracting. The cow seems to emerge from a dream. It makes me think of those Flemish painters with their intense observation and the way they manage to capture the essence of things through the accumulation of details. This piece reminds me of other artists who found beauty in the everyday like Van Eyck. The painting isn't trying to tell a grand story; it’s about the simple connection between a farmer and his prize. Like all great art, the meaning exists in the relationship between all the elements.