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The Bull

Etching of a large bull in profile, looking toward the viewer, with two additional cows and a milkmaid in the background.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • Etching of a large bull in profile, looking toward the viewer, with two additional cows and a milkmaid in the background.

Date:

1650

Artist:

Paulus Potter
Dutch, 1625-1654

About this artwork

Paulus Potter was the preeminent animal artist of the Dutch Republic. His paintings and prints of monumentalized bulls for sophisticated court patrons in particular epitomize the beasts of the Dutch farmland. His slightly caricatured style betrayed a wry and occasionally earthy wit, which he sometimes used for political allegory. By his early death at age 29 he had created his own market niche of animal portraiture, leading the way for 18th-century artists such as George Stubbs, who would paint literal portraits of prized livestock for their proud owners.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Paulus Potter

Title

The Bull

Place

Holland (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1650

Medium

Etching on cream laid paper

Dimensions

Plate: 10.8 × 14.7 cm (4 5/16 × 5 13/16 in.); Sheet: 11.5 × 15.2 cm (4 9/16 × 6 in.)

Credit Line

Elizabeth Hammond Stickney Collection

Reference Number

1887.456

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/72/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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