Two donkeys 

This drawing of two donkeys was made by Nicolaes Berchem, a Dutch artist, sometime in the 17th century. Berchem was known for his Italianate landscapes, scenes of rural life populated by shepherds and peasants, and he often included animals in his compositions. In the Netherlands at that time, the art market was flourishing and artists were creating works for a broad spectrum of buyers. Berchem was part of a growing class of artists who specialized in genre painting, small-scale scenes of everyday life. Donkeys, like other animals, had a symbolic meaning. They were associated with rural life, but also with hard work, stubbornness, and even stupidity. It may be that Berchem was subtly commenting on Dutch society and the culture of labor. To understand this drawing further, we can turn to sources such as farm inventories, popular sayings, and literature from the period. Art does not exist in a vacuum, and its meaning is always shaped by the social and institutional context in which it is made and consumed.