Twee schapen en een ram 1820

Abraham Hendrik Winter created this etching of two sheep and a ram in 1820. Winter was working during a time of shifting agricultural practices in the Netherlands. As land use became more industrialized, animals became increasingly important for their economic value. Winter's choice to depict sheep, specifically, taps into long-standing associations of sheep with pastoral ideals, innocence, and vulnerability. Yet, the ram, with its prominent horns, introduces an element of masculine strength and perhaps even a hint of aggression into this otherwise serene scene. Consider the role of the shepherd in the background, a figure historically linked to notions of care, guidance, and control over both the flock and the land. Is this ram protecting the sheep, or controlling them? The image subtly invites us to reflect on the complexities of power, gender, and the human relationship with the natural world. What feelings does this artwork evoke in you?