Twee vrouwen en een naakte jongen spelend met een hond en een stier 1687 - 1748

This drawing was made by Martin Schedel in the 18th century. It depicts two women and a nude boy playing with a dog and a bull. The composition is set within a decorative cartouche, immediately framing the scene as something staged, an ideal rather than a slice of life. The figures are arranged in a pyramidal structure, giving the scene stability. Schedel uses light and shadow to define form, with softer lines creating depth. We can trace the influence of the Rococo movement here, visible in the delicate details and idealized figures. The idyllic pastoral scene suggests a world of leisure, in contrast to the realities of 18th-century life. The contrast between the rough texture of the tree and the smooth skin of the human figures underscores the artifice of the scene. The use of grayscale flattens the hierarchy of objects, pushing this piece further into the realm of abstraction and idea. The dog, the bull, and the humans become forms expressing a concept of harmony.