Women plucking geese 1871

Max Liebermann rendered this scene of women plucking geese with oil on canvas. The activity, a simple task, echoes through time, connecting us to ancient agricultural societies. The goose, a symbol of vigilance and domesticity, is here stripped of its protective plumage. This act of plucking resonates with vulnerability. Consider its echoes: The myth of Icarus, whose wings, held together with wax, failed him as he flew too close to the sun, speaks to the precariousness of human ambition. The plucked feathers, once symbols of flight, now pile up, discarded. This image evokes a poignant sense of loss. Just as ancient rituals marked the passage of seasons, this scene captures the cyclical nature of life. The goose loses its feathers, only for them to be repurposed, reborn as filling for bedding or clothing. It's a transformation, a shedding of skin, not unlike the cyclical patterns found in nature and human experience.