Kop van een ezel, naar links 1818

Jean Bernard produced this study of a donkey's head in the late 18th or early 19th century, using graphite. The Dutch Republic in which Bernard lived was a highly stratified society, and animal representations often carried social meanings. Donkeys, frequently associated with stubbornness and foolishness, were also emblems of the lower classes, burdened with labor. Was Bernard perhaps using this seemingly straightforward animal study to comment on the social hierarchies of his time? Understanding this image fully requires delving into the visual culture of the period. Prints and drawings, often made as preparatory studies, circulated widely, influencing artistic tastes and social perceptions. Examining popular prints, agricultural manuals, and even political cartoons can provide a richer understanding of how animals were perceived and used as social commentary. The historian, in this instance, becomes a cultural detective, piecing together the meanings embedded within the image.