Ram een twee schapen bij voet van een zuil c. 1668 - 1670

Editor: So, this is “Ram and Two Sheep at the Foot of a Column,” an engraving by Johann Heinrich Roos from around 1668 to 1670. There's almost a serene quality despite the ram's imposing horns, a kind of peaceful co-existence between nature and antiquity. What do you see here, with your knowledge of symbols? Curator: A striking contrast, certainly. Roos positions these pastoral subjects at the base of a ruined column. The column itself is interesting; crowned with vegetation, a fragment of a lost, perhaps idealized, past. Now, think about the ram and sheep—symbols of sacrifice and pastoral innocence—juxtaposed with this decaying monument. What might this signify? Editor: Hmmm… the cycle of time? Maybe even a commentary on the transience of human achievements versus the enduring nature of… well, nature itself? Curator: Precisely. The image becomes an allegory. We see not just animals in a landscape, but an invocation of classical ideals being reclaimed by the natural world. The ram, traditionally linked to Aries and therefore springtime and renewal, could further emphasize themes of cyclical rebirth after decay. Editor: It’s interesting to think of that single animal – the ram – being a symbol for more than a physical farm animal. Curator: Consider how Roos used engraving – think of the mark making, how these small scratches form something so meaningful. Perhaps those careful lines remind us of all those meanings we project onto it, even centuries later. Do you think these engraved lines and pastoral scene evoke that sense of permanence and strength? Editor: I never would have picked up on the Aries symbolism or read it as any comment on human versus natural worlds. That context gives the work so much more depth! Thanks! Curator: It shows us how symbols carry echoes of cultural memory and continuity, inviting reflection through careful observation.