Koe en schapen 1735 - 1771

Editor: Here we have Jan Matthias Cok’s "Koe en schapen," dating from somewhere between 1735 and 1771. It's a drawing, an engraving, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. There's almost a frantic energy to the lines; the animals seem to be in motion. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: What strikes me immediately is the role of the Rijksmuseum itself. This isn't a grand history painting destined for a palace. These are studies, perhaps never intended for wide display. Consider the rising bourgeois class in the Netherlands at this time. Editor: Right, more private consumption of art? Curator: Exactly. Drawings like these may have been collected in albums, reflecting a growing interest in the everyday, the pastoral. Notice how the animal's movement is emphasized? Where might such imagery be displayed or become incorporated into cultural patterns? Editor: Maybe illustrated books or decorative prints? I can imagine these appearing on household objects, wallpaper… making the imagery more accessible. It makes the sketch feel so alive! Curator: Precisely. So the “originality” of the work becomes diffused, entering into the cultural mainstream, a reflection of evolving social values and art's shifting role. Do you find it a successful rendering of pastoral life? Does it idealize, or depict labour? Editor: I hadn’t really considered labor and pastoral life... But the active poses could relate to the way these subjects entered daily life through circulation of sketches in more useful and industrial purposes. I'm starting to look at this piece in an entirely new way. Thank you! Curator: The circulation and display of works such as this highlights art’s role in shaping societal perceptions and even our understandings of historical eras. Thanks!