Rammen en schapen 1648 - 1733

This is an etching of rams and sheep, made by an anonymous artist. The composition is divided into three distinct registers. Each presents a different grouping and pose of the animals. The artist meticulously uses line and texture to differentiate the sheep, capturing their woolly coats and sturdy forms. Note how the use of hatching and cross-hatching creates tonal variations that suggest depth and volume, especially in the fleece. The sheep are not merely representations but studies in form. How the arrangement of these studies upon the paper destabilizes any narrative, inviting us instead to consider the animals as formal elements within a composition. The work challenges a singular interpretation, urging us to engage with it as a set of signs that require our decoding.