Little Owl, to the left 1920

Jan Mankes made this pencil drawing of a Little Owl at the start of the 20th century in the Netherlands. The drawing evokes the Dutch countryside, where the owl is perched, quietly observing. Mankes lived in a rural area of the Netherlands during a period of great social change. The country was industrializing, and cities were growing rapidly. Some artists became fascinated by urban life, yet Mankes turned away from this, preferring the quiet observation of nature. Dutch museums and galleries had become increasingly focused on modern art during this period, with many artists attempting to capture the spirit of the age. But Mankes's quiet, understated drawing of an owl also represents a conscious decision to resist the prevailing trends and create something timeless and universal. By looking at Mankes' personal letters and the art criticism of the time, we can get a fuller appreciation of his artistic vision, and his social context. This in turn reveals how artistic meaning is always affected by the place and the time in which an artwork is made.