Man op een ezel rijdt langs een blaffende hond 1775 - 1833

Jean Bernard created this drawing of a man on a donkey being confronted by a barking dog with pencil. This humble sketch offers insight into the social fabric of early 19th-century Dutch life. We see a commoner, dressed in simple clothes, traveling by donkey, a mode of transport typical for the working class. The barking dog suggests a disruption, a challenge to the man's movement through space. Dogs at this time were increasingly associated with ideas about loyalty, protection, and social hierarchy and were owned by both rich and poor. The drawing invites us to consider the everyday encounters and potential frictions within the social landscape. How might class differences or economic disparities shape interactions in the countryside? To better understand this drawing, we might consult local histories, travelogues, and visual archives of the Netherlands. By placing the work in a wider social and institutional context, we appreciate how it reflects the nuances of Dutch society.