Een stier en een koe in een weiland 1798 - 1837

Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar created this etching, titled "A bull and a cow in a meadow," sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The image presents a snapshot of rural life, which in the Netherlands, was deeply connected to its economic and social structure. Pictures of livestock were a kind of status symbol, reflecting the agricultural wealth of the Dutch Republic. Bagelaar captures the animals in a serene setting. They seem undisturbed, under a vast sky with dramatic clouds, evoking a sense of pastoral harmony. During this period, the Dutch economy relied heavily on agriculture. Etchings like this contributed to a collective sense of national identity, emphasizing the value of farmland. Investigating agricultural records, land-use maps, and economic surveys from this era will provide us with a deeper understanding of how images like this one were tied to the economy. They shaped perceptions of the Dutch landscape and its people.