Twee stierenkoppen 1809 - 1837

Editor: Here we have Pieter Bartholomeusz. Barbiers' "Twee stierenkoppen", or "Two Bull Heads", dating from around 1809 to 1837. It's a pencil drawing, and honestly, I find it quite striking how much character the artist managed to capture in these bulls' faces. They almost seem… judgmental? What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, absolutely! There's a kind of stoic nobility there, isn’t there? It’s interesting to consider why Barbiers might have chosen to depict them in such detail. Perhaps it was a study of anatomy, a fascination with animalistic strength or even...dare I suggest...a reflection on the artist's own inner "bullishness," shall we say? Notice the textures—the curls of their forelocks, the rough hide… it's both realistic and strangely intimate. Does it remind you of anyone? An old professor, perhaps? Editor: Now that you mention it… maybe! It’s interesting how just rendering animal portraits can reveal so much about a culture, too, right? Their relationship to livestock, their values. Curator: Precisely! And this was during a time of significant shifts in agriculture and animal husbandry. So this may be a celebration of that too. Do you feel any symbolic intent? Editor: Symbolism…hmm. Maybe the bull as a symbol of strength or even stubbornness? But it feels more like observation to me. A moment captured. Curator: I agree; it leans towards direct observation. It seems Barbiers truly SAW these creatures. This, in turn, speaks to the universal nature of seeing, doesn't it? What do we see, what do we want to see, and are they one and the same? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. I’m walking away looking at cows and people slightly differently, which is more than I bargained for. Curator: Isn’t it always? It’s nice that bulls made you confront the human inside!