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Cattle Herd
Paulus Potter (signed by artist), 1641
Even though this is one of his earliest drawings, the teenage Paulus Potter nevertheless portrayed the anatomy of the cow’s body with consummate skill. The hide appears to be stretched over the skeleton, as it were. He probably used sculpted or cast models of animals, which he drew from various angles. In this drawing the same standing cow is seen from the back, the side, and the front.
- Artwork typedrawing
- Object numberRP-T-2015-47
- Dimensionsheight 178 mm x width 263 mm
- Physical characteristicspen and brown ink, with two shades of grey wash; the contours indented with a stylus for transfer; framing line in brown ink; verso: rectangular lines in black chalk; traces of black chalk for transfer