Kippen bij een boerenschuur te Veules 1872 - 1879

Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande created this drawing, "Chickens at a Farm in Veules," with pen in grey in the late 19th century. The chickens, scattered around the farmyard, might seem a mere detail. However, the motif of domestic fowl carries with it centuries of symbolic weight. In ancient times, chickens were associated with fertility, vigilance, and renewal. These associations evolved through myth and folklore, resurfacing in art across cultures. Consider the rooster, a common symbol of virility and resurrection, appearing in medieval tapestries and Renaissance paintings alike. Here, though, the chickens lack any divine or heroic association. Instead, they are ordinary creatures in an ordinary setting. The drawing captures a moment of rural life, grounded in the everyday. Yet, even in this humble scene, the echoes of earlier meanings resonate. The chickens connect us to deeper currents of cultural memory. The emotional and psychological weight engages viewers on a deep, subconscious level, triggering associations with nature, simplicity, and the cyclical rhythms of life.