Lithograph on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/marcel-broodthaers-815" aria-label="More by Marcel Broodthaers" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Marcel Broodthaers</a>
Farm Animals
Purchased 1980
animals: mammals
car
cow
emotions, concepts and ideas
fine art and design, named works
humour
illogicality
inscriptions
Magritte, René, painting
objects
printed text
society
symbols and personifications
transport: land
universal concepts
<p>Various breeds of cattle are presented in a grid-like pattern resembling pages from an educational or scientific manual. However, the names printed beneath each cow are those of car manufacturers. As a young man, Broodthaers befriended the Surrealist painter René Magritte. One of Magritte's most famous paintings featured a picture of a pipe with the words 'This is not a pipe' written in French underneath. Broodthaers was fascinated by the way Magritte used words to contradict a visual image. Here he plays his own game, pitting visual and linguistic meanings against each another.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
paper print lithograph
10 October 2001 – 20 April 2003
2003-04-20
10 October 2001 – 20 April 2003
2003-04-20
2001-10-10
Tate Modern (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/
2001-10-10
Classified
Collection based display
30 March 2023 – 10 September 2023
2023-09-10
30 March 2023 – 10 September 2023
2023-09-10
2023-03-30
Wellcome Collection (London, UK)
2023-03-30
Milk
Loan-out
The Farm Animals
image: 819 × 603 mm
frame, each: 870 × 666 × 25 mm

Purchased 1980
<p>Various breeds of cattle are presented in a  grid-like pattern resembling pages from an educational or scientific manual. However, the names printed beneath each cow are those  of car manufacturers. As a young man, Broodthaers befriended the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/surrealism" title="Glossary definition for 'Surrealism'"><span>Surrealist</span></a> painter René Magritte. One of Magritte's most famous <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>paintings</span></a> featured a picture of a pipe with the words 'This is not a pipe' written in French underneath. Broodthaers was fascinated by the way Magritte used words to contradict a visual image. Here he plays his own game, pitting visual and linguistic meanings against each another.</p>
Display caption
2004-09-08T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>P07385</b> FARM ANIMALS 1974
<br/>
<br/>Inscribed ‘M.B.’ bottom right and ‘1974’
<br/>Two-sheet lithograph, printed at Göttingen, published by Edition Staeck, Heidelberg in an edition of 120, each sheet 32 1/4×23 3/4 (82×60.3)
<br/>Purchased from Edition Staeck (Grant-in-Aid) 1980
<br/>
<br/>This <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/print" title="Glossary definition for 'Print'"><span>print</span></a> comments on the resonance of commercial names and hence advertising's ability to exalt mechanics or technology into a legendary sphere. <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/engraving" title="Glossary definition for 'Engraving'"><span>Engraved</span></a> illustrations of breeds of cattle are captioned with car names.
<br/>
<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/><i>The Tate Gallery 1980-82: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions</i>, London 1984
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-11T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
animals: mammals car cow emotions, concepts and ideas fine art and design, named works humour illogicality inscriptions Magritte, René, painting objects printed text society symbols and personifications transport: land universal concepts