Koeien 1834 - 1903

Editor: Here we have Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch’s “Koeien,” or “Cows,” created sometime between 1834 and 1903. It's a pencil and coloured pencil drawing, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. There's something very raw and unfinished about the sketch; it's like a fleeting moment captured on paper. What do you see in this piece beyond just cows in a field? Curator: I see more than just a bucolic scene. I see a document, perhaps unintentionally, of the shifting societal structures of the 19th century. This work coincides with significant agricultural changes that impacted people’s relationship to the land. These animals weren’t just part of the landscape; they represented sustenance, economic stability, and a way of life undergoing immense change. What statements might be made in sketching these farm animals? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t considered it in terms of economic and social upheaval. I suppose I viewed them as quaint figures in a landscape, nothing more. It’s almost as if the artist is merely sketching a common scene with the most readily available subject and tool. Curator: Precisely! And isn't there an inherent politics to the availability of a subject, the value ascribed to certain kinds of labor? I want to consider what we might not see on the page, in relation to labor, class, and perhaps gender roles too. The lack of distinct details might invite viewers to project their notions onto these generic symbols, thereby allowing the art to enter into contemporary dialogue. Editor: So by stripping down the details, Weissenbruch allows space for multiple perspectives? It certainly challenges the notion of a simple, objective depiction of reality. Thank you, that really reframed my thinking. Curator: And yours has prompted me to revisit how these seeming innocuous pastoral scenes played into broader narratives of power and representation.