Liggende ram in een weide 1907

Curator: This drawing, titled "Liggende ram in een weide," meaning "Reclining ram in a meadow," was created in 1907 by Frans Lebret. It's an etching. What strikes you initially? Editor: A sense of peace. That ram looks utterly content. There's a quiet strength in the way he’s sprawled out, soaking in the sun, probably chewing his cud and dreaming of... well, sheepy things, I suppose. Curator: Indeed, the imagery of the ram is pretty straightforward, focusing on realistic qualities rather than the symbolic, although we cannot completely dismiss the weight of symbols. It really conveys the calm Dutch landscape of the early 20th century. Rams in many cultures carry quite a heavy symbolic load. Editor: Like what? The Golden Fleece? Virility, certainly. And of course, the astrological sign Aries— the ram signifies leadership and determination, doesn't it? Curator: Exactly. But here, all that melts away. The meticulous lines of the etching give it this gentle, almost dreamy quality. There’s nothing aggressive or assertive in that pose, is there? Just pure animal existence, which offers a nice juxtaposition in relation to the heavy-handed symbolism of the ram figure through centuries. Editor: Absolutely. Look how Lebret uses the etching to define the wool, individual strands even, yet also conveying its fluffy mass. You almost want to reach out and feel it. And notice the subtle landscape hinted at in the background: the suggestion of more sheep and what could be a distant steeple, providing a soft depth of field that doesn't overwhelm our sleeping hero. Curator: I always wonder about that choice. The artist focused all their efforts to portrait just that ram. Why? Editor: Maybe that is the intention—not to look for symbols, but at the subject itself, in its simplest expression. Who am I to apply symbolism? Maybe Frans Lebret wanted us to stop seeking hidden messages and learn from the beauty of unpretentious nature. Curator: A wonderful way of summing it up! The ram in the meadow, a call for simplistic introspection. Thank you! Editor: My pleasure! A refreshing reminder that sometimes, the most powerful messages are the quietest ones.