Staand ram en liggend schaap voor ronde toren 1671

Johann Heinrich Roos created this etching of a standing ram and a lying sheep in the 17th century. Its rustic imagery reflects a growing interest in pastoral themes. The print presents an idealized scene of rural life, a common trope in Dutch Golden Age art that served to reinforce certain social values. The animals, symbols of docile labor and natural abundance, are set against the backdrop of a round tower, possibly alluding to themes of protection or the idyllic past. Prints like these were made for a growing art market outside of the church or aristocracy. These pieces circulated among a rising merchant class, helping to shape their understanding of the world and their place in it. The images, though seemingly simple, participated in constructing cultural identity and class aspirations. Further study of period literature and economic records could shed light on the networks through which such images circulated. It would help us understand how they functioned within the broader cultural and economic landscape of the time.