Hooi wordt op een kar geladen 1782 - 1837

Pieter Bartholomeusz. Barbiers created this pen and brown ink drawing, titled 'Hooi wordt op een kar geladen,' or 'Hay is Loaded on a Cart,' sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Barbiers, living through the Batavian Republic and later the Napoleonic Kingdom of Holland, captured scenes reflecting the economic realities of his time. His drawings often depict everyday life, subtly revealing the labor and class dynamics that shaped Dutch society. Here, we see figures engaged in the physically demanding task of loading hay, their postures and dress hinting at their social standing. Consider the backbreaking work, the weight of the hay, and the lives of these laborers who sustained the agricultural backbone of the Dutch economy. While seemingly simple, Barbiers' drawing invites us to reflect on the stories of those whose labor often goes unseen.