Et stående og et liggende får 1620 - 1683

Curator: Welcome. We’re now looking at a delicate etching by Nicolaes Berchem, titled *Et stående og et liggende får*, which translates to "A Standing and a Lying Sheep." It’s part of the Dutch Golden Age collection here at the SMK, dating from 1620 to 1683. Editor: It's smaller than I expected, but there is a stark directness in the composition that intrigues me. It makes one feel unexpectedly peaceful. The stark white background is quite evocative, focusing one's attention quite closely on the contrast in forms of the three sheep that are captured by these sparse line marks. Curator: The contrast is absolutely key, yes. Berchem uses line weight and density expertly here. Note the strategic hatching to render the texture of the wool and define the animals' forms. We're drawn to this interplay of light and shadow. It gives the otherwise simple pastoral scene considerable depth. This interplay between lines, this formal interplay of lines against nothing, is interesting in itself. Editor: The sheep themselves carry so much symbolic weight. Throughout history, they are emblematic of gentleness, innocence, and even sacrifice. What’s fascinating here is the sense of domesticity and calm in the poses. Notice how one is lying down resting, one is sitting alert with its yoke, and the other, perhaps their mother, stands and keeps watch over her brood. The grouping as a visual motif gives the etching emotional weight as well. Curator: Certainly, and from a formalist point of view, notice how this visual grouping also echoes and reinforces the structural unity. The curves of the sheep’s bodies and wool counterpoint the angular strokes suggesting the grasses, providing structure in the visual composition. The eye continually dances around and is trapped between forms. Editor: These subtle details elevate this above just a simple scene of sheep and landscape. Berchem offers a tranquil vision of pastoral life where it is easy to get lost contemplating an imagined simple life. Curator: Agreed, and focusing on Berchem’s compositional elements really sharpens our view of how powerfully such imagery, although minimal in execution, retains power in its formal beauty. Editor: Yes, this deceptively simple composition rewards prolonged meditation on these traditional symbols of peace and pastoral existence, encouraging reflection.