Koeien in een landschap 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve sketched Koeien in een landschap using graphite on paper. The graphite lines, quickly and economically applied, define the heavy bodies of the cows and the sketch suggests a whole environment through the lightest of touches. Graphite is a material that can be found in many forms, from hard pencils, to powder, but here we see the artist has used it in a stick form. This drawing appears effortless, but Mauve was a highly skilled draughtsman. The nature of graphite allows for the artist to make marks and alter them easily. The pressure, angle, and speed with which Mauve applied the graphite all determine the quality of the mark that we see. There’s a lovely contrast between the soft, hazy atmosphere and the solid forms of the animals, who are, after all, the source of milk, meat, leather: the literal stuff of society. By considering Mauve’s artistic process and the way the materials were handled, we can gain a deeper appreciation of the artwork and the wider social context that the artist was working within.