Pissing Cow
1650
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1650
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Pissing Cow is a 1650 ink by Paulus Potter, a Baroque work, depicting cattle, held at National Gallery of Art.
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.
