Another series of cows. Plate 5: A cow standing in a landscape.

item details

NameAnother series of cows. Plate 5: A cow standing in a landscape.

ProductionMarcus de Bye; etcher; Mid 17th century; Netherlands
Paulus Potter; artist

Classificationprints, etchings, works on paper

Materialsink, paper

Materials Summaryetching

Techniquesetching

DimensionsImage: 161mm (width), 128mm (height)

Registration Number1869-0001-59

Credit lineGift of Bishop Monrad, 1869

Overview

The Dutch printmaker Marcus de Bye (also de Bije/ de Bie) is little-known in relation to his talent and prolificness. He was born in The Hague in 1639 and died after 1688. He became a pupil of Jacob van der Does in 1658. Better known as an engraver and etcher than a painter, he engraved several series of animal studies after the famous but short-lived painter Paulus Potter (1625-54), and also produced a number of original engravings.

This etching is one such based on original works by Potter. It is from Another series of cows (British Museum Collection online), to distinguish it, for example, from Cows and a Sheep. Plate 5 in a series of 8, it depicts a solitary cow standing in a landscape, viewed from behind and rendered with very convincing foreshortening.

See: British Museum Collection online, https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3063083&partId=1&searchText=De+ Bye+cows+&page=1

Dr Mark Stocker Curator, Historical International Art April 2019