Zich krabbende geit 1840

Hendrik Jozef Franciscus van der Poorten created this drawing of a scratching goat with pen in grey in the 19th century. The simple, everyday gesture of an animal scratching itself belies a deeper connection to our shared human experience. Consider the recurring motif of animals, often with symbolic weight. From ancient cave paintings to classical pastoral scenes, animals serve as carriers of meaning. The act of scratching, so viscerally captured here, transcends mere physicality. It evokes feelings of discomfort, irritation, but also relief. Think of the Greek sculptures depicting athletes scraping themselves clean after competition, an act of purification and renewal. This resonates with the simple act of scratching, suggesting a deeper, perhaps subconscious, human drive to cleanse and restore. The goat, a humble subject, is imbued with a primal, timeless quality. It reminds us that these basic, instinctual actions are ever-present. It is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and its cyclical return throughout art history.