Four sheep, one sheep stands among three others lying on the ground next to a shed with thatched roof and open door 1658

This etching of sheep by Karel Dujardin was made in the Netherlands in the mid-17th century. The Dutch Golden Age was a time of great economic prosperity and artistic innovation, in which artists sought new ways of representing the world around them. Dujardin, like many of his contemporaries, was interested in the everyday life of the countryside. He was part of a movement in Dutch art that focused on naturalism and the representation of ordinary people and animals. This interest reflected the cultural values of Dutch society, in which the merchant class was gaining power and wealth. Rural life and animal husbandry were central to the Dutch economy. Today, art historians explore similar etchings in museum collections, sale catalogs, and artist biographies to better understand Dutch society and material culture during the Golden Age. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.