ISM: Cows

I once saw a painting of cows in France.

Les Vaches (The Cows), 1890. Vincent Van Gogh, oil on canvas, 55 x 65 cm. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Painted by Vincent van Gogh, Les Vaches (The Cows) presents a bright palette typical of the painter but a bright-ness, so to speak, that is not so typical of the painter. This brightness that I speak of is of course entirely subjective, and refers to an emotional levity that I have not felt from the painter through most of his works. The emotional levity comes from a lack of metaphorical intention, replaced by a straightforward delivery of sight: from eye to hand to canvas. Perhaps I have interpreted most of Vincent Van Gogh's works from an Expressionist point of view-- which is, admittedly, more a personal problem than of the artist and his ability to paint.

Furthermore, the levity does come from a personal attachment to the subject matter. Cows present Mother Nature at its finest, at its closest to man. A mother mammal who gives, who nurtures, and who moves slowly and unbothered by the cruelty of man.

The atypical brightness that I see in this work comes from the perspective that the cows do not seem metaphorical and do not present emotional distress, such as the bed and chair in the painter's tense Bedroom in Arles (1888). Even the painter's Irises and Almond Blossom suggest metaphorical interpretation, with the former's strange point of view (even if were to lie down on the soil and peer up, the view would be more angular) and the latter's monochromatic gradient background in place of a real landscape with structures and/or other trees in view. Les Vaches seems very non-metaphorical, as a real view of cows: a perspective likened to that of a casual viewer from a respectful distance; grass of various shades and lengths on rolling hills; a bird in the sky to suggest a real-world location. In short, this painting caught my eye in that it was comfortable to look at.

Les Vaches has been widely debated in its worth and even authenticity. However, not enough evidence has been presented to ascertain such claims, and only the reputation of doubt and the fervent disapproval of the enthusiasts of the artist have remained. The painting was likely never meant to be a major work anyways, seeing as how it was a gift from Vincent Van Gogh to his doctor, and is based on an already then-existing painting by the renowned Dutch artist Jacob Jordaens. Both works are currently held by the same institution in France.

All this aside, I bring up Les Vaches to present another view of cows: Cows in the Lowland. Cows in closeup seem to be a personal preference of mine.

Cows in the Lowland is a German Expressionist painting by Emil Nolde (1909).

Cows in the Lowland, 1909. Emil Nolde, oil on canvas, 88.27 x 108.59 cm. Source: LACMA webpage. Image Rights: © Nolde Stiftung Seebüll, Germany.

My earlier comparison of Expressionism and Impressionism is certainly one that I encourage viewers to think of when looking at these two paintings in comparison. What does one make you feel, versus the other? What do you think the intention of one artist was, versus that of the other? There are many technical things to consider in a painting, but considering emotional evocation is always a good start.

Impressionism tends to focus on impressions of light and color.

Expressionism tends to focus on expressions of internal emotion.

In short, one is external, the other is internal.

When I saw Nolde's cows at the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), I was led to believe that cows are a healthy, vivacious entity that is capable of bold behavior just as much as slow grazing. The impasto of mottled hide feels so alive, so deep, and so full of life. Cows do have "four" stomachs after all.

References

LACMA, Cows in the Lowland

Wikimedia Commons, Les Vaches