Herder met een kudde schapen bij een hek c. 1876 - 1888

Anton Mauve sketched this drawing of a shepherd with a flock of sheep near a fence with pencil on paper. Mauve was associated with the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists working in the late 19th century who shared an interest in depicting the everyday life of the Netherlands. They were reacting against the rigid academic style that dominated art instruction, as they explored the naturalism of the Barbizon School in France. The rural subject matter, with its emphasis on agriculture, can be understood in relation to the social and economic conditions of the Netherlands at this time, when industrialization was rapidly changing the landscape. Mauve’s sketch is a kind of visual archive, capturing the character of traditional Dutch culture through a progressive lens. To better understand the meaning of this sketch, we might consult archives to determine the exhibition history and sales records. By paying attention to the social conditions that shape artistic production, we can better understand the role of art in culture.