The Grazing Cow, c. 1650, Paulus Potter, Dutch, 1625¡V1654, 3 15/16 ¡Ñ 5 1/2 in. (10 ¡Ñ 13.97 cm) (image)4 1/4 ¡Ñ 5 13/16 in. (10.8 ¡Ñ 14.76 cm) (sheet), Etching, Netherlands, 17th century, Paulus Potter was among the most prominent of the many artists who specialized in depicting animals in 17th-century Holland. The Grazing Cow is typical of his work. It slow vantage point imparts monumentality to his subject. Here the cow seems to tower above the steeple of a village church. Raking light produces dramatic shadows that reveal the beast¡¦s complex anatomy, which takes on architectural force. The great mass of the body is suspended from a clearly define superstructure of bones. The shadows themselves are described with the utmost delicacy and variety. Some have said that Potter¡¦s art is devoted to light as much as it is to animals.