Kop en poot van een ezel 1818

Jean Bernard made this drawing of a donkey head and leg with graphite around the turn of the 19th century, but why devote such careful study to such a humble beast? In Dutch art of this period, the most common farm animals - horses, cows, sheep - were increasingly celebrated as symbols of national prosperity and rural virtue. The donkey, on the other hand, traditionally symbolized lower class servitude, but its presence here can be viewed as a sign that Dutch society was changing, with the rise of a more compassionate and progressive culture. Perhaps the artist viewed the donkey as an under-appreciated creature whose quiet labour deserved recognition. Analyzing such historical sources – agricultural records, political pamphlets, popular songs – allows us to understand the changing place of the donkey, and the place of art within the shifting social landscape of the Netherlands.