Study of a Cow 1833 - 1848

Johan Thomas Lundbye, painted this study of a cow in the early to mid-19th century, a period of significant agricultural and social change in Denmark. Lundbye, deeply invested in Danish national identity, often depicted rural scenes to celebrate the nation's connection to the land. This painting reflects a reverence for the animal, portraying it with a quiet dignity. The cow, a symbol of sustenance and rural life, takes center stage against a muted landscape. Cows in paintings of this era were not merely livestock, they represented a kind of pastoral ideal. It’s interesting to consider how gender and class dynamics intersect in this seemingly simple portrayal. The labor of the working class, both human and animal, is essential to the national identity Lundbye sought to capture, yet it often remains unseen. "I paint what I see," Lundbye once said, yet what did he choose to see, and what did he leave out? Here, the cow invites us to reflect on the complex relationships between humans, animals, and the land, and how these relationships are shaped by social and economic forces.