Sculptuur van een liggende koe 1883

Henri-Charles Guérard created this etching of a sculpture of a reclining cow, but we don’t know when. During the 19th century rapid industrialization changed the relationship between humans, nature, and animals. The rise of urban centers meant fewer people had direct contact with farm animals, leading to both romanticized and objectified views of them. This etching captures a tension between the artistic gaze and the cow’s own existence. The animal is rendered with a certain weight and presence, yet also as an object of artistic study, reflecting a broader societal ambivalence toward animals. The lack of any contextual background directs our focus entirely on the cow, inviting us to contemplate its being. Is it a symbol of pastoral tranquility, or is it an acknowledgment of the labor and life bound up in our relationship with animals? Ultimately, this small etching serves as a poignant reminder of the complex ways in which we perceive and interact with the natural world, filtered through layers of cultural and personal experience.