Schapen in een stal en een mannenbuste c. 1884 - 1887

Willem Witsen made this drawing of sheep in a stable and a man's bust with chalk on paper. Consider the sheep, symbols of innocence and sacrifice, a motif with roots stretching back to ancient religious practices. One sees echoes of the sacrificial lamb in Christianity or the pastoral imagery of classical antiquity. Now, juxtapose this with the man's bust. It suggests intellect and authority and perhaps hints at a dialogue between the sacred and the secular, the natural and the intellectual. It’s almost as if Witsen seeks to bridge these worlds, capturing a tension between the simple existence of the animals and the complex ruminations of the human mind. The cyclical nature of these symbols continues to appear through history, as the sheep, now representing both purity and martyrdom, and the bust of the man, of reason and authority, each echoing across time.