Bosrand met herten 1859

Jan Bos Wz. created this etching of deer at the edge of the woods. Throughout the 19th century, artists in the Netherlands were turning to the landscape as a source of national identity. But depictions of animals such as these, while seemingly natural, were far from neutral. Images of wildlife helped to define the boundaries between the cultivated and the wild, the civilized and the untamed. Consider the institutional structures which underpin artistic production. Scenes of wildlife were especially popular with the urban middle class, eager to consume images of nature that were easily digestible. We can consider such works in terms of their broader cultural and social function. To fully understand this etching, one might consult periodicals, hunting manuals, and other popular literature of the time to better understand the cultural significance of deer. The meaning of art is always contingent on its historical context.