Twee liggende schapen bij stronk van een boom 1671

Johann Heinrich Roos made this etching of two sheep lying by a tree trunk in the 17th century. At this time, the Dutch Republic was a dominant force in international trade, and the economy was booming. This prosperity trickled down through society and enabled a growing middle class to participate in the art market. Roos specialized in painting and printmaking of animals, which had become a popular genre among this new class of art consumers. His idealized portrayal of these creatures connects to a wider artistic trend of pastoral imagery, and a yearning for the simple life, set in contrast to the fast-paced mercantile economy. Institutional archives can tell us more about how artworks like this circulated at the time. We can learn about the economic and social conditions that shaped artistic production, and how art served as a reflection of cultural values and aspirations.