Sheep c. 19th century

Curator: This is Charles Jean Louis Courtry's "Sheep," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. There's a simplicity to it that I find immediately appealing. Editor: Yes, the pastoral scene is compelling. I’m struck by how the solitary sheep is rendered. Is it meant to be an allegory for vulnerability? Curator: Perhaps. We might also see it through the lens of 19th-century French society, where anxieties about urbanization and industrialization were rampant. The sheep becomes a symbol of a disappearing rural idyll. Editor: It could also relate to societal hierarchies, where laborers were often compared to livestock and therefore considered inferior. I wonder how class dynamics played into representations of the countryside? Curator: It's a powerful reminder that art isn't created in a vacuum, but rather within a specific historical and social context. Editor: Precisely, and reflecting on the artwork today lets us examine similar imbalances that exist now. Curator: Indeed, it allows us to consider the persistent influence of power on our perception. Editor: I find myself hoping the sheep finds some safety.