A sheep to the right 

Johann Ludwig von Pfeiff created this drawing of a sheep, using pen and brown ink, sometime around 1710. The sheep as a symbol, particularly in the context of 18th-century Europe, carries a wealth of religious and social connotations. Christianity often uses the imagery of sheep to represent believers and Christ as the Good Shepherd. Made in Germany, this drawing reflects the cultural significance of agriculture and animal husbandry in the European economy and the social structure. Drawings like these might have been produced for educational purposes within the artistic academies. These institutions played a key role in shaping artistic taste, promoting certain subjects, and maintaining social hierarchies within the art world. Understanding the context in which it was made means researching the economic importance of sheep farming, studying religious symbolism, and investigating the role of artistic academies in shaping cultural values.