Ossen die een blok steen voortslepen op een strand 1841 - 1857

Johan Daniël Koelman made this pencil drawing called "Oxen dragging a block of stone on a beach", but when, exactly? The date remains a mystery. Koelman died young, at age 25, so it was made sometime before 1857. What does it mean? Well, this image likely comments on the social structures of its time, the mid-19th century. The focus on manual labor, with oxen and men straining to move a heavy stone, hints at the economic realities and social hierarchy of the Netherlands at that time. The oxen might represent the working class, burdened with heavy labor to serve the goals of those in power. The image has both a conservative view (the natural order of things) and a progressive critique (strenuous work). To understand the context, we can look at the kind of work people did at that time, how Dutch society was organized, and the role of art in reflecting or challenging those structures. By looking into these things, we can understand the meaning and relevance of this drawing better.