Theo van Doesburg's Abstraction of a Cow is associated with which artistic impulse?

• A. vivid realism.
• B. ornate decoration.
• C. narrative complexity.
• D. simplification.

Answer: (D)

The main idea behind this work is simplification: reducing a subject to its most essential forms. Theo van Doesburg strips away texture, shading, and natural detail and instead uses basic geometric shapes and flat planes to convey a cow. This approach mirrors the De Stijl aim of order and universality, where art cleanses visual content to its pure relationships of line, shape, and color. The result isn’t a lifelike depiction or a decorative image; it’s about the idea that form can be understood through simple, harmonious elements. So the impulse displayed here is the move toward simplification, rather than realism, ornate decoration, or telling a detailed story.