Pissing at the moon, an update

Today an update on the research and posting on the "pissing cow". I now think I’ve found the original source of the stream. Potters etching of the pissing cow was edited in 1650 in a small collection of 8 small etchings named "het Bullenboekje" (the bull booklet.) Potter wasn't the only Dutch Golden Age painter creating these small pastoral designs and etchings for bread and butter. Affordable art in contrast to his paintings which were Kings and Queens stuff even before the paint was dry. But Potters designs were copied und used the most. By himself in his paintings and by many other artist even during his short lifetime. He died 28 of tuberculosis, a desease often transmitted by .... cows.

With his booklet Potter followed the example of Italian painter Antonio Tempesta (1555-1630) before him. He edited likewise such a design booklet in 1600. It was also used by Rembrandt. Here are Potters original 8 etching of 1650. I couldn't find a site showing these little gems together (They are also in the book, below)

Juts recently I discovered that Potter, in the year before, painted his most elaborate, admired as soon it was ready, and complex work on commission for Princes Amalia van Solms (1602-1675). She was the widow of reigning Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange (1584-1646) of the Netherlands. In 1649. The painting was supposed to decorate one of the chimney-walls in the same house that her royal descendant (12 generations later), our Queen Beatrix,  today calls her home: the Noordeinde Palace in the Hague. 

The painting is known as “het Boerenerf” (the Farm yard) or "the Pissing Cow" although there are many other animals doing all sorts of other interesting things. Try finding a picture of this painting on the www. Strange.. 

But to keep a long story short. The painting was denied, the order cancelled, because her ladyships’ inspector spoke of “the presence of an object too foul .....”. The painting, a few years later after some haggling over the price, was sold to the royal family of Sweden. It eventually ended up in 1815 in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, probably bought by the Tsar who couldn't have foreseen  he had so little time left to enjoy it.

It’s not however Potters most well known painting. That, of course, is “The Young Bull” permanently on display in te Mauritshuis Museum in the Haque. It was brought back with great ceremony in 1815, after the French stole it in 1795. Together with Rembrandts' The Nightwatch, probably Hollands most enigmatic paintings.

I think I was the very last generation who learned to read and spell with farmer "Teun", seen both leaning to the tree and on "het Leesplankje" (reading plank) obviously borrowed from Potters famous painting. I learned today.   

"The Farmyard" was back, on loan in the Netherlands in the Mauritshuis Museum 1994-1995 for the great Paulus Potter exhibition. The catalogue, written by Amy Wals, edited by Waanders, “Paulus Potter, schilderijen, tekeningen, etsen”, is still available.  New, 200 pages, with  many wonderful and rare pictures. Search the various pre-owned books sites (Amazon, Abebooks etc.) It's a must have for every lover of great (graphic) Art. The small price making up for being written in Dutch.