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January 15, 2026

‘Bigger and lower’: bull in Dutch painting once had much larger testicles

Experts at the Mauritshuis in The Hague believe Paulus Potter toned down The Bull to respect 17th-century sensibilities

‘Bigger and lower’: bull in Dutch painting once had much larger testicles

TL;DR

  • Conservators restoring Paulus Potter's "The Bull" discovered that the bull's testicles were originally larger.
  • The reduction in size is believed to be an artistic choice to respect 17th-century sensibilities.
  • A similar work by Potter, an etching of a "pissing cow," was rejected for being too smutty.
  • The painting "The Bull" was looted by Napoleonic troops and later returned to the Netherlands.
  • The life-size depiction of a cow was unusual for the time and contributed to its popularity in France.

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