Weiland met grazende koeien en koppen van drijvers 1864 - 1880

Johannes Tavenraat made this pen and ink drawing of a polder landscape populated with grazing cows and portraits of men. Tavenraat was working in a period of great change in the Netherlands, when agricultural landscapes were being transformed by industrialization and urbanization. The artist's choice of subject matter, the flat pasture and its inhabitants, celebrates the rural character of the Dutch landscape. But he also focuses on the working class men who were an integral part of that world. The faces of these working men, rendered with sensitivity, convey a sense of dignity in their connection to the land. It’s hard to ignore the symbolism of the cows. As they graze freely, they embody the harmony between humans and nature. The artist seems to be emphasizing the value of labor and the quiet beauty of ordinary life, while maintaining traditional representations of the Dutch landscape. This drawing offers us a glimpse into a time of transition and speaks to the enduring human connection to the land.