Weide met koeien 1880

Ricardo de los Rios created this etching, "Weide met koeien," in the late 19th century. The seemingly simple scene of cows grazing in a pasture, accompanied by a milkmaid and her dog, speaks to the period’s changing relationship to rural life. Made during a time of rapid industrialization across Europe, pastoral scenes like this one became increasingly popular as a way to evoke a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, pre-industrial past. But let's not forget this is also Spain at a time of political instability. The monarchy was restored only a few years before De Los Rios was born and the artist's social position afforded him the time to portray the lower classes, which became increasingly popular throughout Europe. To fully understand this image, we have to consider the social conditions that shaped artistic production at the time. Archival research into popular print culture, exhibition history, and the artist’s biography, might reveal the complex layers of meaning embedded in this pastoral scene. The way that art reflects its contingent social and institutional context.