Gerrit Stegeman was a local cattle painter and drawer. And a very fine one he was. The Milkmaid is one of my most cherished and cheerful works of art, although it not a graphic production. Found and rescued on a hunting trip (for woodblock prints) was this orphaned small sketching book in a deplorable condition. These examples were in it: restored and repaired they are one of my finest possessions. There are several more drawings but these examples are definitely the nicest.

It was years later that I found a picture of the Milkmaid executed in porcelain by Duch Jewish sculptor Henri Teixeira de Mattos (1856-1908)…….. A co-incidence, serendipity or did the artists meet?

The pissing cow is besides a quite natural thing to do for a cow also a classic graphic theme (pissing sheep, horses etc..) first explored by the Old-Master etchers and drawers in the 17. and 18. Century. Even Rembrandt indulged.