Knielend kalf 1632 - 1678

Karel du Jardin sketched this kneeling calf using graphite, capturing a humble, almost sacrificial posture. This kneeling position, charged with symbolic meaning, takes us back to ancient rituals. Consider the Golden Calf from the Book of Exodus, a symbol of idolatry and misplaced devotion. Du Jardin’s calf, however, presents a different story. Its gentle posture evokes vulnerability and innocence, resonating with earlier depictions of sacrificial animals in ancient Greek and Roman art, where the act of kneeling signified offering and supplication to the gods. The emotional weight of this image resides in its quiet simplicity. The calf's posture engages us on a deep, subconscious level, stirring feelings of empathy. This single motif, rendered with such delicate precision, becomes a vessel for cultural memory. The symbol of the kneeling animal carries on through time, shifting, evolving, yet forever tethered to its archaic roots, a testament to the enduring power of visual symbols across cultures and generations.