Veestuk 1667 - 1727

Michiel Carree created this drawing, "Veestuk," using pen and brown ink, and brown wash, sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It's a pastoral scene, populated by farm animals – cows, sheep, and a donkey – rendered in delicate brown hues. During Carree's time, the Dutch Republic experienced a Golden Age, marked by economic prosperity and a flourishing art market. Yet, this era also relied on exploitative colonial practices. The serene image of grazing animals may seem disconnected from such realities, but it's worth considering what it obscures. "Veestuk" translates to "cattle piece," and these pieces were popular among the middle class, suggesting a sense of wealth and stability rooted in land ownership. Carree’s scene evokes a sense of harmony between humans and nature, yet it also reminds us of the labor and resources extracted from both the land and its inhabitants. It’s a peaceful landscape, but one that perhaps whispers of a more complex and contested history.