Studie van een os, in profiel 1841 - 1857

Johan Daniël Koelman made this study of an ox in profile using graphite. Koelman worked in the Netherlands in the mid-19th century, a time when the Dutch countryside was undergoing significant change, with new agricultural techniques changing farm life and the rise of urban centers impacting rural communities. Artists at this time found themselves in a new role: to document and memorialize a passing way of life. The level of detail with which Koelman renders the animal, especially the articulation of its musculature and bone structure, reflect a scientific interest in the natural world, which was another key theme in the art world. To understand the social context of this drawing, it would be interesting to look at agricultural records from the period or studies of Dutch rural life in the 1800s. These historical resources help us understand the meaning and function of an artwork like this one in its own time.