Koeien in een weiland omgrensd door een hek 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve created this drawing titled ‘Cows in a Meadow Enclosed by a Fence’ with a pencil. The fence stands out as the primary visual symbol, serving as both boundary and barrier. Fences have long been emblems of civilization, demarcating ownership and protection. Yet, they also hint at separation and exclusion. We find echoes of this motif in ancient Roman fortifications, symbols of imperial power, and later in medieval walled cities. But consider too, the pastoral scenes of earlier Dutch masters, where fences might suggest a gentler containment, a harmony between man and nature. The psychoanalytic lens reveals the fence as a manifestation of our primal need for security but also our fear of confinement. It represents the tension between the known and the unknown, the safe and the forbidden. Mauve’s simple fence reminds us that these ancient symbols never truly vanish. They resurface, evolve, and engage with us on a subconscious level, shaping our perception of the world.