Schaap liggend bij hek 1808 - 1881

Editor: So, this etching, "Schaap liggend bij hek," or "Sheep lying by the fence," by Eugène Verboeckhoven, made sometime between 1808 and 1881, feels incredibly peaceful, almost melancholic. The lone sheep, the bird perched on the fence... it’s quite still. What do you see in it? Curator: Stillness, absolutely. But also a kind of knowing. You know, Verboeckhoven, though celebrated for his animal paintings, often tucked little narratives into his landscapes. That sheep isn't just lying there; it's present. Notice the puddle, the subtle detail of the distant windmill. It is not the romanticism of idealized rural life but it certainly breathes a sense of being…of the land… and even perhaps our own place within it. What does the stillness evoke in you? Editor: That's lovely - “a sense of being." For me, there is something about the bird on the fence watching the sheep, juxtaposed with the windmill in the distance that feels… like time unfolding at different paces, somehow connected. Curator: Beautifully said. Think about it – the etching itself, the careful crosshatching to create texture and light. It’s an incredibly slow, deliberate process. It makes one ponder that contrast with our own time, racing by at a dizzying speed. It kind of makes you want to slow down with the sheep. What have you gained in understanding by looking closely at it? Editor: Definitely! I am now understanding a richer feeling, a reminder of time and quiet in art and perhaps, more importantly, in myself. Thanks. Curator: My pleasure! Hopefully everyone who looks at this print in the future will be more encouraged to slow down a little.