Staand en twee liggende schapen bij romeinse poort 1665

Editor: This is Johann Heinrich Roos’s etching, “Standing and Two Lying Sheep by a Roman Gate,” created around 1665. There’s a strange calm to it. The sheep seem completely unbothered by the ruined grandeur around them. What do you make of this juxtaposition? Curator: Ah, Roos! He had a way of turning the pastoral into something subtly…poignant. The sheep are indeed peaceful, almost dreamlike, amidst the decaying Roman gate. It’s a comment, perhaps, on the transience of human empires against the enduring simplicity of nature. See how the light catches the wool, rendering them almost… monumental? What feeling does that evoke for you? Editor: I suppose there's a feeling that the world keeps turning, no matter what crumbles. The detailed rendering of the sheep contrasts the sketched Roman ruins. Curator: Exactly. It’s not just about decay, it's about re-purposing, isn't it? The gate, once a symbol of Roman power, is now a backdrop for sheep. Roos reminds us that even in ruin, there is life and beauty. Makes you think about what *we* deem important, doesn’t it? Editor: It does. It kind of makes me wonder what will outlast us! Thank you, that gives me a totally new appreciation for what at first just seemed like a simple animal scene. Curator: My pleasure! It's amazing to discover these subtle depths beneath unassuming artworks, isn’t it? Roos had a quiet genius, a way of making the mundane magnificent.