Boerenerf met kippen 1855

This etching, "Boerenerf met kippen," by Joseph Hartogensis, presents us with a seemingly simple farmyard scene teeming with cultural resonances. The chickens, pecking and preening, are not merely barnyard fowl. These creatures, since antiquity, have been potent symbols of vigilance and even resurrection in some cultural contexts. Notice how Hartogensis positions them near the water well and the dwelling. The well, an ancient symbol of life's source, juxtaposes with the domesticity of the chicken coop. Think of the image of a cornucopia. In ancient times, the symbolism connected with nourishment was related to prosperity and fortune. But this evolved and transformed through different representations in other artworks through the centuries. The imagery of feeding has its roots in our primal memory of early life, and its persistence in art reflects the powerful, subconscious pull these symbols have on us. Perhaps Hartogensis intended to convey a sense of pastoral tranquility, a reflection on life’s essential elements: sustenance, nurture, and the ever-watchful presence of nature. Such symbolic echoes are not linear but cyclical, resurfacing and evolving across time.