Kalf drinkend bij zijn moeder 1775 - 1833

Curator: Here we have "Kalf drinkend bij zijn moeder," or "Calf Drinking by its Mother," a drawing attributed to Jean Bernard and created sometime between 1775 and 1833. Editor: Immediately, it's the intimacy that strikes me. That single-minded focus of the calf… it’s elemental. Almost primal. Makes you wonder what the mama cow is thinking, standing so patiently. Curator: Animal studies were quite popular, but they often reflected larger social concerns. Motherhood, nature, and the pastoral were idealized during this period. Bernard might have been commenting on the social importance of family through this unassuming farm scene. Editor: Possibly! Or maybe, just maybe, he just thought it was a sweet scene. Artists are allowed to feel things, you know. It’s interesting how the pencil lines feel so light and fleeting – a captured moment. There's a sketch-like quality that makes you feel like you are peering into his sketchbook. Curator: Agreed. The sketch-like quality offers a glimpse into the artist’s process. However, there is much more to see. During this era, powerful landowners were starting to take land used for communal grazing and use it to house more valuable livestock. Animals were turning from being workers into sources of personal capital. Editor: Capital, huh? I prefer my interpretation, thank you very much! Regardless, you can feel the weight of each careful line, as the shapes and composition are fairly good. Almost makes you want to reach out and give that calf a little pat. Curator: A lot can be unpacked when we bring context and perspective into the experience of art. By understanding how artwork reflects socio-political changes in its time, we begin to understand more about the artwork and more about our own world as well. Editor: I think I will still lean into how that little calf makes me feel. And how the simple beauty of a captured moment makes the artwork enjoyable. But it is food for thought.