Staande geit, naar rechts Possibly 1809 - 1814

Editor: This is "Standing Goat, Facing Right," potentially from 1809-1814, by Jean Bernard, a drawing in pencil. There's a gentle, almost casual feel to it, a kind of simplicity in its depiction. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, it's precisely that seeming simplicity that I find fascinating. The medium, pencil, itself speaks to a specific kind of labor and access. Unlike oils, pencil was relatively inexpensive, connecting it to a broader spectrum of society. Was this commissioned, or a personal study? That distinction is important. Editor: Good question! How does that potential distinction impact our interpretation? Curator: If it was a commission, it reflects the demands of a patron, perhaps depicting livestock as a symbol of rural wealth or even emerging agricultural improvements. A study, on the other hand, points towards the artist engaging with the physical world, practicing their craft, and the economics of artistic training at the time. Where did Bernard source his materials? Who was producing these pencils? And what were the working conditions of these early factories? It's not just about art, it's about production! Editor: That’s a very different lens than I was expecting. It’s almost as if the drawing is secondary to the conditions that enabled its creation. Curator: Exactly! Consider the paper too. Its texture, its source – each aspect hints at the socio-economic context in which Bernard was working. It's a reminder that even the most seemingly straightforward image is embedded in complex systems of production and exchange. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. So, this innocent goat drawing opens a whole world of materiality. Thanks for that! Curator: It's always worthwhile to remember that the art object itself is part of a wider web of social and economic relations. Food for thought!