Kudde schapen 1832 - 1886

Dirk Jurriaan Sluyter made this print of a flock of sheep using etching. The image is a scene of rural life, something that became popular in the Netherlands in the nineteenth century, as the country modernized. At the same time as cities grew and factories developed, the Dutch middle class was increasingly interested in images of simple country life. Sluyter was part of a group of artists associated with the Hague School. This institution was interested in representing the everyday lives of ordinary people and the landscape around them. Through its art, the Hague School helped shape ideas about Dutch identity. Historians of art look at sources like exhibition reviews, artists' letters, and sales records to understand what art meant to people in the past. By researching these sources, we can better understand the complex relationship between art and social life.