Artwork
Pissing Cow
Pissing Cow is an ink print by the Baroque artist Paulus Potter. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
A cow lifts its tail, pees into a stream. The artist used etching and drypoint, scratching lines deep into metal to hold ink.
It’s a funny, oddly gentle scene for 1650. People then didn’t always hide such things in art. The cow looks calm, like it’s just doing its job.
Try making your own drypoint at home. Look up etching and drypoint.
Overview
Pissing Cow is an etching created by Paulus Potter in 1650. The work showcases the artist's skill in depicting rural scenes and animals.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a cow urinating into a stream, presented in a calm and matter-of-fact manner. The scene's straightforwardness reflects the era's more open representation of bodily functions in art.
Technique & Style
Potter employed etching and drypoint techniques to create the image, scratching lines into a metal plate to hold ink. This method allowed for detailed renderings of the cow and its surroundings.
History & Provenance
Paulus Potter, a Dutch artist known for his animal subjects and low-perspective rural scenes, produced around 100 works before his death at 28 from tuberculosis. Pissing Cow dates to 1650, early in his career.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Paulus Potter (Dutch pronunciation: ; 20 November 1625 (baptised) – 17 January 1654 (buried)) was a Dutch painter who specialized in landscapes featuring animals, often from a low vantage point.
