De melkbocht 1870 - 1897

Editor: We're looking at "De melkbocht," or "The Milk Bend," painted by Willem Roelofs sometime between 1870 and 1897. It's an oil painting showing cows in a landscape, and the dark tones and thick brushstrokes give it a somber, almost melancholic feel. What stands out to you when you examine this work? Curator: It's intriguing to consider Roelofs' choices in rendering this rural scene. Note how the heavy application of paint, the very materiality of the oil itself, almost obscures the cows. This challenges the romanticism often associated with landscape painting, pushing the focus toward the labour inherent in representing this scene and in the rural life depicted. Do you think the thickness of the paint evokes the density of the pastoral landscape? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn't considered the paint itself as part of the story. I guess I was more focused on trying to "see" the cows in the gloom. How does the social context influence this representation, then? Curator: Well, think about the increasing industrialisation of the Netherlands during this period. Representing agrarian labour, almost obscuring the figures within a mass of materials, can be viewed as a commentary on the changing economic landscape and the place of manual labor within it. It almost positions the materials used in its making at the same importance as the subject. Editor: So it’s less about idealising the countryside and more about highlighting the conditions of its production? Curator: Precisely. And not just the countryside, but of the artwork itself! By drawing our attention to the medium – oil paint, brushstrokes – he connects artistic labor with other forms of labor. What's your take now? Editor: I never thought I could talk about paint in this way. That actually opens up so many ways of thinking about art beyond just pretty pictures. Curator: Absolutely. Looking closely at materials, process, and social context can unlock new understanding.