Twee koeien met de koppen bij elkaar 1829 - 1879

Ildephonse Stocquart made this small etching of two cows with their heads together in the 19th century. Throughout much of the 19th century, European artists turned to depictions of rural life and the natural world, imbuing the countryside with a sense of peace and simplicity. But rather than being neutral reflections, these kinds of images often reflect a conservative social agenda. Stocquart was Belgian, and we might consider the rise of Belgium as an independent nation in 1830, and the way that this art, seemingly innocuous, helped to solidify a sense of national identity rooted in agricultural traditions. Archival records from the art academies, exhibition catalogues, and government documents help us to understand how this imagery served the cultural and political needs of its time. The historian’s task is to reveal these layers of meaning.