Os, geit en drie schapen in ondiep water 1810

Frédéric Théodore Faber created this etching of a cow, goat, and three sheep in shallow water around 1810. It reflects a romantic vision of rural life, which was increasingly at odds with the social realities of the Netherlands under French rule. The pastoral scene is rendered with close attention to detail, indicative of the Northern artistic tradition. But it also subtly engages with contemporary debates about land use and agricultural reform. The Napoleonic era brought significant changes to Dutch society, including the introduction of new legal codes and systems of taxation that impacted rural communities. The image seems to look back nostalgically toward simpler times. The fact that it was created as a print also indicates that the target audience may have been wealthy citizens who had a more idealistic view of countryside life. To fully understand this etching, we might consult agricultural records, social histories of the period, and the artist’s own biography. These resources can reveal the complex interplay between artistic representation and social context.