3 ms·
The shape of the cows is exaggerated, but not by much - many breeds of cow are just incredibly rectangular in profile. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/conte
by jdietrich 2y ago
The shape of the cows is exaggerated, but not by much - many breeds of cow are just incredibly rectangular in profile.
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5475e650e4b0df699238ca05/1417845560276-AZUN169ZQRJXYM8HG9BA/typical+Triple+T+Female https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5475e650e4b0df...
- onychomys 2y agoHonestly, I knew I had to submit it when I got to the sheep. The cows aren't far off, but that sheep!
- jihadjihad 2y agoHaha yeah that sheep is pretty wack.
- Cumpiler69 2y agoBrits had Minecraft sheep before Minecraft
- hinkley 2y agoThose beluga whale pigs I’ve seen somewhere before and they haunt my dreams.
- GreenWatermelon 2y agoThese are the widely renowned "Brother, may I have some oats" pigs.
- Mistletoe 2y agoAnd the beef cattle industry ideal shape has evolved over time as well. In the past that rectangle with short stubby legs was what they wanted. https://onpasture.com/2016/07/04/from-big-to-small-to-big-to-small-a-pictorial-history-of-how-weve-changed-what-cattle-look-like/ https://onpasture.com/2016/07/04/from-big-to-small-to-big-to... All 3 parts of this are fascinating.
- walrus01 2y agoNow in certain regions cattle are bred for being hardy and general overall health in extreme climates, quantity of beef production vs resources that are put into a herd financially... Such as: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droughtmaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droughtmaster There is also the aptly named SQUARE MEATER which maintains the rectangular cow aesthetic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_Meater https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_Meater
- shermantanktop 2y ago“Ideal” is a nice word for arbitrary fashion, literally a herd mentality. This mirrors what happens with muscle cars, women’s handbags, JavaScript frameworks, and so many other things. The purpose remains ostensibly functional but the real driver is peer group status, to the point that function is totally compromised but the peer group loves it.
- hinkley 2y agoIsn’t any philosophy about cows a herd mentality?
- gilleain 2y agoSo an arbitrary ideal, then? As in, not conforming to 'the' ideal in the sense of some platonic, eternal idea of a cow, but some ideal in the mind of farmers of what they would prefer cows to be.
- Loughla 2y agoIdeal with livestock is usually for A reason, not arbitrary. You don't want stubby legs because they don't breed as easily. Breeding animals isn't like technology.
- masto 2y agoThe first thing I did was take 5 seconds for an image search to confirm that the cows in the paintings look like.. actual cows. Then I read the article, and remain perplexed about art and those who write about art.
- the__alchemist 2y agoI had the same reaction; this was a glaring omission; photos of cows should have been at the top of the article as a reference. The article's main (but unstated) point isn't cows in these paintings are rectangular, but cows in these paintings are unrealistic in the same way. To prove this point, he used many of these paintings, but no pictures of actual cows, which would have proven his or her point. Doing the work myself, as you have, I find that many cows are rectangular. The author is unequipped to dispel me of this notion, if it's incorrect, but could have easily if he had addressed it preemptively by clearly stating his actual thesis. (Unrealism, not rectangleness). (And if he is correct)
- DiscourseFan 2y agoYou’ve missed the point. It’s not that cows are unrealistically sqaure, it is that its strange how many paintings of rectangular cows there are, and the author guesses its because they’re all displaying the profile. Why is this perspective so dominant in the 19th century, and what does it mean for the formal considerations of the artwork? These are the questions that are important, not whether or not cows are actually sqaure.
- the__alchemist 2y agoI concur that what you describe is a central theme. I also think that a lack of addressing the question (with pictures or words) of realism leaves it open for readers to take away themes other than the one you highlight.
- DiscourseFan 2y agoThere is no “realism,” photography is its own form of art. What’s remarkable is how common this perspective is even today, such that it has been produced as “realistic” for you and how you see the world.
- walrus01 2y agoI should note that this image of a rectangular cow is hosted on SQUAREspace.
- isoprophlex 2y agoGorgeous brisket!
- torlok 2y agoOne of the first things you learn about farming cows is that meat cows are rectangular, and dairy cows are triangular. Some of the paintings are quite exaggerated though, probably for the purpose of bragging rights by the patron.
- hinkley 2y agoParticularly in the haunches. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorthorn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorthorn One of the cows pictured.