Boer tussen twee koeien bij een ruif in een stal (grote variant) 1860 - 1894

Jan Vrolijk made this etching of a farmer with two cows in a stable, sometime in the late 19th century, here in the Netherlands. The image presents a seemingly simple scene of rural life, but it invites us to consider the social and economic context of Dutch agriculture at the time. In the late 1800s, Dutch farmers faced increasing competition from abroad. Artists like Vrolijk, who were trained in the urban academies, often turned to the countryside for inspiration, drawn to the perceived authenticity of peasant life. Note the contrast between the rough, almost romantic depiction of the animals and the farmer, with the more modern, industrialised agricultural practices that were beginning to take hold. Was Vrolijk celebrating a vanishing way of life? Or was he perhaps critiquing the social inequalities that persisted in rural communities? To fully understand this image, we can explore the archives of agricultural societies, local histories, and even the artist's own biography. By doing so, we can reveal the complex interplay between art, society, and the changing landscape of the Netherlands.