Herder en zijn schapen bij een boerderij c. 1653

Harmen ter Borch created this red chalk drawing of a shepherd and his sheep at a farm in the Netherlands sometime in the mid-17th century. The image offers a window into the cultural values of the Dutch Golden Age. The scene is a far cry from the heroic landscapes of earlier eras, instead celebrating the rural labor and simple life. This aesthetic was strongly associated with the emerging merchant class and their embrace of Protestant values, such as hard work and thrift. But, it is also important to note that images of the countryside frequently papered over the massive social inequalities of the time, as well as the suffering caused by the country's extensive colonial projects. Ter Borch's drawing is a reminder that the appreciation of art depends on a thorough awareness of its historical and social context. Only by consulting sources from the period can we understand these complexities.