“Composition (The Cow)” is a pencil on paper sketch created circa 1917 by the artist Theo van Doesburg. This artwork belongs to the Cubism movement and falls under the genre of sketch and study. The dimensions of this piece are 15.9 by 11.7 cm. Currently, the artwork is housed in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, NY, US.
The artwork depicts a series of geometric shapes and lines, characteristic of the Cubist style. The lines are predominantly vertical and horizontal, forming grid-like structures that suggest a fragmentation and abstraction of the subject matter. The simplicity and rawness of the pencil lines convey a sense of exploratory creativity, emphasizing form and structure over representational accuracy. The composition is minimalistic and invites contemplation of the relationship between the shapes and the space they occupy.
