Kudde schapen in een bos 1864 - 1936

This drawing of sheep in the woods was made by Jan van Essen. Notice how the sheep are drawn like soft, rounded clouds. They're bunched together, suggesting safety in numbers, their presence a symbol of pastoral tranquility. The motif of the sheep is ancient, of course. One can see it echoed in Christian iconography as a symbol of the flock of the faithful, guided by a shepherd. But let us consider other iterations. The ‘Anima Sola’, the Lonely Soul, is sometimes depicted with sheep, representing the lost souls in purgatory. Though van Essen’s work isn't explicitly religious, the clustered sheep evoke a deep, shared memory of vulnerability and guidance. It’s this emotional resonance, buried in the collective unconscious, that gives van Essen's drawing its evocative power, where nature is as much a reflection of our inner state as it is a visual scene. The sheep, then, become a symbol that traverses time, ever shifting in meaning, yet always rooted in our deepest fears and hopes.