Schapen in een heuvellandschap c. 1876 - 1888

Anton Mauve sketched "Sheep in a Hilly Landscape" using graphite, capturing a bucolic scene. The sheep, represented through simple lines, become potent symbols of pastoral life and innocence. Consider how the symbol of the sheep has traversed through art history, from early Christian art where the lamb embodies Christ, to classical allegories of Arcadia, symbolizing peace and simple living. These gentle creatures, seemingly passive, carry a deep, resonant history, evoking ideals of tranquility and harmony with nature. Mauve's sketch, though minimal, engages our collective memory, stirring subconscious associations with these long-held ideals. It speaks to a primal longing for a simpler existence, a connection to nature that transcends time. Like a recurring dream, the sheep reappear across epochs, their symbolic weight shifting, yet always echoing a fundamental human desire for peace.