Studieblad met schapen c. 1884 - 1887

This is Willem Witsen's sketch study of sheep from the late 19th or early 20th century, a work now held at the Rijksmuseum. The sheep, with their woolly backs turned to us, present more than just pastoral charm. Consider how, across millennia, the lamb has been a profound symbol. In ancient pagan rites, it was a sacrificial offering; later, Christianity adopted it as a symbol of innocence, sacrifice, and Christ himself. Here, Witsen echoes an ancient motif. Yet, there is a transformation. These are not idealized, docile creatures. Their rumps and backs fill the frame, raw and unadorned. The artist has desanctified the sacred, bringing the symbol of the lamb down to earth. This sketch, in its stark simplicity, invites us to reflect on how symbols persist, their meanings ever shifting, shaped by culture, memory, and the unconscious currents of history.