Kippen en een varken 1680 - 1723

Jacob Gole made this etching of chickens and a pig sometime between 1660 and 1737. It depicts a barnyard scene, seemingly mundane, but its meaning is more complex when we think about its cultural context. Prints like this circulated widely in the Netherlands during the Golden Age. The Dutch Republic was a center of global trade and a place where new ideas about society and politics flourished. Etchings like this were not simply decorative, they reflected, and shaped, the values of the time. Consider the emerging merchant class and their fascination with the natural world. The detailed depiction of the animals speaks to a culture of observation and scientific inquiry. Think also about the political symbolism: is the pig in the doorway a comment on the stability of Dutch society, or a warning? To truly understand this image, one would consult period literature, political pamphlets, and the records of printmakers' guilds. The meaning of this artwork is contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was produced and viewed.