Landscape with Sheep and Two Figures (recto); Faint Sketch of a Figure with a Hat (verso) 1623 - 1673

Curator: Ah, here we have Jacob van der Does’s "Landscape with Sheep and Two Figures," a pen, pencil, and watercolor drawing done sometime between 1623 and 1673. What's grabbing you about this one? Editor: It's wonderfully muted, almost sepia-toned. It feels dreamlike, a fleeting memory of a rural scene. There's a kind of peaceful melancholy to it. What strikes you? Curator: It’s interesting you say that because to me, the seeming casualness disguises a deeply intentional study of class and labor during the Dutch Golden Age. You see, van der Does, although from a family of artists, places these anonymous figures—presumably shepherds—on the land. They are dwarfed and consumed by the immensity of the Dutch landscape, which suggests something to me of their status within the world. Editor: I hadn't considered that perspective so directly. The figures do blend seamlessly with the landscape. They could almost be extensions of those old trees! It raises questions about their agency. Are they free agents, or bound to this life? Though, that's not to dismiss its more intuitive pull... Curator: Right. The layering is quite subtle—those washes of watercolor building depth. The trees, especially the gnarled one on the left, feel very present, sheltering the figures. In terms of agency, you know, the lack of strong definition can also empower us, making the art open to varied interpretations. Editor: Indeed! The sheep, for example. They’re just smudges of wool really. Barely there. Perhaps this also speaks to a rural experience wherein livestock exist, yet are unacknowledged beyond their worth, like shadows upon the earth. Curator: Perhaps, and I wonder if van der Does felt caught between the artistic allure of the countryside and its socio-economic reality. These weren’t just pastoral fantasies; these were people's livelihoods, steeped in hierarchy. The “faint sketch” of a figure on the verso could itself indicate the impermanence, both literally and figuratively, of individual working lives. Editor: Van der Does really encourages me to rethink landscapes as more than scenic snapshots. Thanks to its scale and unassuming visual quality, there is something deeply thought-provoking about this drawing, Curator: Right back at you! It's a tender picture which pushes one to ponder those silent moments and buried realities within the Dutch countryside, which has allowed me to glimpse an insight through his lens.