Hollands Hollende Koe (Holland’s Running Cow)
Broadside consisting of a large illustration printed from an etching plate, and a text in letterpress in three columns below, which comments on the scene depicted above. The subject of the print is the return of Hans Willem Bentick, Earl of Portland to the Netherlands. Bentinck was the friend and ally of stadtholder Willem and hoped to gain support for his patron in his new role as king of England. The Dutch initially opposed this political development and resented the fact that their stadtholder had taken on a monarchical position. They were also afraid that the English and Germans would try to 'milk' the Dutch Republic for all it was worth. These concerns are translated into a chaotic scene showing Bentinck charging in on the back of a running, blindfolded cow, which is being milked by the English and the Germans. The text below the image contains a full description of all the details depicted in the print.
Only several copies of this broadside are known to have survived. It is a curious object of print history which simultaneously offers a commentary of events in 17th-century Holland, but also on the contemporary taste for political prints by Romeyn de Hooghe. This print is often attributed to him, claiming that the author’s name ‘Bousche’ is a pseudonym for the artist, but the style of the etching suggests that it is by a follower rather than the master himself.
Only several copies of this broadside are known to have survived. It is a curious object of print history which simultaneously offers a commentary of events in 17th-century Holland, but also on the contemporary taste for political prints by Romeyn de Hooghe. This print is often attributed to him, claiming that the author’s name ‘Bousche’ is a pseudonym for the artist, but the style of the etching suggests that it is by a follower rather than the master himself.
Artwork Details
- Title: Hollands Hollende Koe (Holland’s Running Cow)
- Artist: Gaspar Bouttats (Flemish, Antwerp ca. 1640–1695/6 Antwerp)
- Artist: In the manner of Romeyn de Hooghe (Dutch, Amsterdam 1645–1708 Haarlem)
- Date: 1690
- Medium: Etching
- Dimensions: Sheet: 22 1/16 × 16 9/16 in. (56 × 42.1 cm)
Plate: 14 15/16 × 15 11/16 in. (37.9 × 39.9 cm) [uneven edges] - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of Donald J. LaRocca, in honor of Jan Piet Puype, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.388
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Gaspar Bouttats
ca. 1660–96
Multiple artists/makers
1690
Gideon Saint
ca. 1760
Anthony van Dyck
ca. 1640
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1645–47 (published 1648)
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.