Kudde Afrikaner rundvee bij Shewasaulu, Zuid-Afrika 1967

Willem Jacob van den Berg created this photographic work of Afrikaner cattle near Shewasaulu, South Africa, sometime in the mid-20th century. These pastoral scenes reflect a specific chapter in South Africa's history: the rise of Afrikaner nationalism and its complex relationship to the land. Consider the context: the Afrikaner identity was being solidified through cultural and political institutions. Images like these played a role in constructing a narrative of Afrikaner belonging and stewardship of the land, often overlooking the history of colonial dispossession. The romantic depiction of cattle grazing peacefully in the landscape evokes a sense of bucolic harmony. But we can examine the image as a cultural artifact by asking questions such as: who owned the land? What was the labor system that sustained this pastoral scene? Archival research into agricultural policies, land ownership records, and oral histories could shed light on the social and institutional conditions that shaped this image. This helps us understand the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shape artistic production.