Geiten, een boomstam en een liggende figuur 1849 - 1917

This pencil drawing of goats, a tree trunk, and a reclining figure, is by Matthijs Maris who was born in the Netherlands in 1839. Maris, a part of the Hague School, imbues the humble scene of goats and figures with a dreamy, almost ethereal quality. The visible grid of the paper lends a mathematical precision that contrasts the otherwise loose sketch of the image. The ethereal quality might allude to the shifting societal structures of the late 19th century, as industrialization began to displace the agrarian and rural ways of life. The goats, symbols of pastoral life, and the reclining figure suggest themes of rest, leisure, and perhaps even escape. The ambiguity of Maris's work invites viewers to project their own emotions and experiences onto the drawing, finding solace or perhaps a melancholic reflection on a bygone era. The drawing's value resides not just in what it depicts, but in its ability to stir a sense of longing for simpler times.