Vier runderen in de wei 1864 - 1902

Paul Parmentier made this etching of cows in a field in the Netherlands in the late nineteenth century. It’s a pastoral scene, but one that resonates with the cultural and economic conditions of the time. In the Netherlands, the late 1800s were a period of agricultural innovation and growing international trade in dairy products. The image creates meaning through its portrayal of contented cows in their pasture, a reflection of the Netherlands as an agricultural nation. Institutions like agricultural schools and farmers' cooperatives were becoming increasingly important in shaping the rural economy, and images like this served to validate that way of life. The image may seem conservative in its celebration of the rural idyll, but its existence in a museum context raises questions about the role of art in representing and shaping social values. Historians might research agricultural practices, trade statistics, and the development of Dutch national identity to better understand this etching. Ultimately, its meaning depends on its social and institutional context.