Vier ploegende ossen 1901 - 1902

This etching by Pieter Dupont shows four oxen plowing a field. It’s all about the process, you can see how the artist carefully built up the image through precise mark making. Looking closely, you can see how the texture and the physicality of the medium play a big role. The lines are so delicate, yet they create a real sense of depth and weight, especially in the bodies of the oxen. See how the artist uses tiny etched lines to suggest the animals' muscles and the way the light hits them? And then, there's the dark, earthy furrow they're creating, so different in texture from the rest of the field. This contrast really brings out the sense of labor and movement. It reminds me a little of Millet, but with a kind of raw, graphic edge. This piece makes you think about the long tradition of artists engaging with the land. It’s about the conversation between humans, animals, and the earth, and how we keep working that relationship through art.