Greatest Asset
It’s all about the horns, right?
What most don’t know is some female bovine breeds, like buffalo or highland cattle, can have horns. What identifies them as a heifer instead of a steer or bull is the ability to have a calf. I chose to use horns as the bovine’s greatest physical feature because it was genetic and not gender. That and horns hold a certain cash value. That price makes them an asset. Milk and meat are also assets, but udders belong to cows, and steers aren’t typically used for meat but for breeding. It brings us back to the horns and their gender neutrality.
So all that was the genesis, but while painting I became reflective on beauty. Who doesn’t want to be deemed as beautiful inside and out? In the grand scheme, I think it is easier to change one’s internal rather than external. You can work on becoming patient whenever, but you can’t turn back time for that youthful skin, no matter how much cosmetic work you get. So, some hold onto what they think or have been told is their best feature. They accentuate it. An attribute to classical portraiture is highlighting what the subjects are proud of and /or want to been seen as. I’d like to think my cows are proud that they are genetically capable of growing horns and would choose to pose this way.
