Schetsblad met studies van schapen en koeien

Gerard Bilders made this study sheet with sketches of sheep and cows using pen and paper. Bilders was working in the Netherlands during the mid-19th century, at a time of significant agricultural change and he was associated with the Hague School movement. The Hague School artists often depicted rural scenes and landscapes, and it’s worth asking why these subjects were favoured during this period. The increasing urbanization and industrialization of the Netherlands may have influenced the artistic focus on the countryside as a way of idealizing and preserving a disappearing way of life. Artists like Bilders were also interested in capturing the changing atmosphere and light of the Dutch landscape, a conscious effort to create a distinctly Dutch form of painting. By studying artists' sketchbooks, art historians can learn about their process and get insight into the social and cultural values that shaped their work.