Twee schapenkoppen 1646 - 1672

Curator: This drawing, titled "Two Sheep's Heads," was created by Adriaen van de Velde sometime between 1646 and 1672. It’s currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: There’s an immediacy to it, despite being almost 400 years old. The pencil strokes capture a lifelike quality – and a sort of, pardon the expression, ‘dumb’ animal character. What context can you give to it? Curator: Well, Adriaen van de Velde was known for his landscape paintings, often populated with figures and, yes, livestock. This drawing would likely have served as a preparatory study. Considering the prominence of animal husbandry in the Dutch Golden Age economy, representations of livestock reflected broader societal values and structures. These images speak to a system. Editor: I'm curious about the means of its production. Pencil as a readily available material connects it more to a sort of…artisan's toolkit than the fine art establishment. Its texture emphasizes the craft behind rendering believable forms; we are thinking of its process from sheep to sketch! And consider its reception – hung on a wall or stuck in a binder as resource material for later, grander pieces. Curator: Precisely. Think about the relationship between the artist and his subject; it shows an almost clinical interest, yet imbues them with a presence that transcends mere study. In terms of the social climate, there was this burgeoning merchant class, the expansion of trade... van de Velde reflects it here. The emerging public art market, too, begins influencing these practices. Editor: How interesting—to tie those sheep heads to all these spheres of labor and politics! The image, even in its quiet state, reflects and responds to larger economies, cultural hierarchies, consumption... everything flows together, even onto a simple sketch! Curator: Indeed! A simple study is, after all, connected to so many histories, once you really dig in!