Twee koeien en een schaap en andere dieren 1821 - 1869

Christiaan Godfried Schutze van Houten created this etching, titled 'Two Cows and a Sheep and other Animals', sometime in the mid-19th century. At first glance, the artwork appears to be a simple depiction of farm animals, but its creation occurred during a time of significant social and economic change in the Netherlands. The artist's detailed rendering of each animal evokes a pastoral scene, reflecting a longing for a simpler, agrarian past amidst rapid industrialization. The meticulous rendering of each animal can be viewed as a celebration of rural life and its inhabitants, while also reflecting the societal values of order and industriousness of the period. There’s an emotional resonance in the way these creatures are depicted, an attempt perhaps, to preserve a way of life that was quickly vanishing. It serves as a gentle reminder of the interconnectedness between humans and the natural world, and an elegy for a disappearing rural existence.