“Study for Composition VIII (The Cow)” is a work created by Theo van Doesburg circa 1917. The artwork, rendered in pencil on paper, is a product of the Expressionism movement and falls under the genre of sketch and study. It measures 10.4 x 14.6 cm and is currently housed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, NY, US.
The artwork itself depicts a simplified and abstract representation of a cow. The lines are confident and expressive, capturing the essence of the cow’s form with minimal detail. The sketch appears to be an exploration of form and movement, characteristic of van Doesburg’s style, and serves as a foundational study for his more elaborate compositions. The artwork is illustrative of the artist’s exploration of abstraction and reduction of natural forms to their essential geometric components.
