Deez' os, zoo groot en vet hy is / Gevoed met gras en hooi, / Gaat straks des slagters byl niet mis. / Ondanks zyn kermis-tooi 1806 - 1830

This undated etching by J. Robyn in the Rijksmuseum depicts a garlanded ox on its way to slaughter. It’s a grim scene of animal exploitation rendered in a style that recalls the prints and pamphlets circulated during the Dutch Golden Age. The text accompanying the image in Dutch bluntly tells us that despite its ‘kermis-tooi’, or carnival garland, the ox will soon be killed. The artist is using visual codes and cultural references to convey a political message. This was a period in Dutch history when the political pamphlets were used to sway public opinion. This imagery is therefore very political, but does not come out and say what it is trying to say - that the ox is being sent to its death, despite being dressed up for carnival. This etching perhaps critiques this culture. Further research into the artist, the publisher, and the Dutch printmaking trade in general may reveal the precise intention behind this bleak image. We might look at who was buying these images and what the dominant political viewpoints were in this period.