Twee liggende koeien

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Jacobus Buys’s small etching *Twee liggende koeien* captures two reclining cows in a quiet, naturalistic pose. Created between 1740 and 1801, the print reflects the enduring Dutch interest in animal subjects that had flourished in the preceding century. Buys, active in Amsterdam, worked across drawings, paintings, and prints, often turning to everyday rural motifs that appealed to both local collectors and an expanding print market. Measuring just 77 by 133 millimetres, the etching’s modest scale suggests it was intended for intimate viewing—perhaps tipped into albums or portfolios rather than framed on a wall. The etching technique allowed Buys to render soft contours and subtle shading with fine, economical lines, demonstrating how the medium could translate careful observation into an accessible, reproducible image. A collector’s stamp (Lugt 240) on the verso further hints at the print’s later journey through distinguished cabinets, underscoring the value placed on such modest yet evocative studies by generations of connoisseurs.

About the Artist

Jacobus Buys · 1724–1801

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