Staand waterend varken, naar rechts, in het gras Possibly 1805 - 1813

Editor: Standing, Watering Pig, facing right, in the grass – a pencil drawing attributed to Jean Bernard, possibly made between 1805 and 1813. The pig, drawn with delicate lines, looks very docile and rather dignified. What can you tell us about its context? Curator: This sketch offers a glimpse into the visual culture surrounding livestock in the early 19th century. While seemingly simple, such depictions played a role in shaping perceptions of rural life. The Rijksmuseum collecting such sketches highlights a shift in how everyday subjects became worthy of artistic attention and, subsequently, historical consideration. Notice the pig has a bell. What does that suggest about how it was viewed or treated? Editor: That it was somebody's property, maybe? Meant to be heard more than seen? Curator: Precisely. Drawings like this contributed to the visual rhetoric of agriculture, connecting ownership and the natural world, and perhaps romanticizing aspects of farm work for urban audiences. It humanizes the pig, to a degree, but does so through the visual language of ownership and utility. What might a detailed image like this communicate about social hierarchies and the value placed on animal husbandry at the time? Editor: So it’s not just a pig in a field. The drawing also silently speaks to issues of land ownership and the economics of animal raising. I hadn't considered that. Curator: It also invites us to contemplate how artistic representations themselves participate in larger cultural narratives. Museums like the Rijksmuseum validate and then amplify certain perspectives. Considering its presence there, what might this tell us about how Dutch society began to understand itself in the 19th Century? Editor: That even simple farm life, viewed through art, held historical and national significance? Curator: Exactly. We’ve moved far beyond the barnyard with a single drawing. Editor: I'll definitely look at seemingly simple images much differently going forward. Thank you!