Juni 17th century

Editor: This small print, "Juni," from the 17th century and created anonymously, shows a rural scene with people and sheep. It's made with etching and engraving. I'm struck by how this simple image evokes a sense of everyday life and almost feels dreamlike with all of the hatched lines used for shadows. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The prevalence of line, and particularly the parallel hatching, anchors this image in the Northern tradition. Beyond technique, this composition calls to mind classical pastoral imagery and a sense of idealized labor, of humanity living harmoniously alongside the rhythms of the seasons and the land. The sheep themselves take on a symbolic dimension, suggestive of provision, bounty, innocence, and of course faith. How do you see the placement of the figures interacting with those symbols? Editor: It's interesting to think of it like that. They're right among them, which, like you mentioned, could imply their role as caretakers and how life is cyclical. In thinking about it, could the thatched roof structure in the background symbolize shelter and domesticity? Curator: Indeed, the houses and buildings represent stability and the cultivated world. But notice how small and somewhat overshadowed they are. The true drama unfolds within the human figures and amongst the flock of sheep. Perhaps this implies something of the true seat of value for the society the print reflects. Editor: That’s a wonderful way to look at it – that what they valued wasn't necessarily the physical comforts of home but something less concrete. It makes you think about the importance of symbols, especially when they tell a bigger story. Curator: Yes, this print speaks volumes about how symbols, seemingly simple, hold profound cultural narratives. Hopefully now, the image evokes in you deeper reflections about life in that time, too.