Stier en schapen 1803

Pieter Gerardus van Os created this print, "Stier en schapen," using etching techniques. Van Os was working during a time of significant agricultural change and economic shifts in the Netherlands. In this work, we see the pastoral tradition of livestock imagery; however, we should also note the context of the Netherlands as a colonial power. Consider how the romanticization of rural life and livestock may have been intertwined with the economic realities of colonialism, where resources were extracted from other lands to benefit the Dutch economy. Who is afforded the luxury of "pastoral"? Whose labor makes leisure possible? Van Os presents us with a view of the Dutch countryside. "Stier en schapen" encourages us to consider how cultural and economic systems intersect to shape both our vision and our experience of the land. It also might make you wonder about the role of art in shaping national identity and historical memory.