Twee ossen trekken een kar before 1898

Curator: Here we have a photogravure print entitled "Twee ossen trekken een kar," or "Two Oxen Pulling a Cart," created before 1898 by J.A. Sinclair. It's a fascinating glimpse into the working life of animals in a past era. What are your initial impressions? Editor: Stark. The light is very flat, giving it a somber tone, and the figures seem weighted down, burdened. It makes you think about their lives, what that constant pull represents. Curator: Absolutely. Sinclair was capturing a specific socio-economic dynamic. Notice how the oxen and the handler are framed by buildings, indicative of an urban environment, hinting at the changing landscape with increasing industrialization. The photogravure technique itself—a printing process based on photography—speaks to that era's desire to capture and disseminate images rapidly. Editor: And oxen, as symbols, have deep roots. Beyond the obvious connotations of labor and servitude, consider their historical link to sacrifice, and even divinity in some cultures. That yoked pair evokes a real sense of resignation. The low camera angle is particularly evocative. Curator: Indeed. The positioning reinforces their size and strength, crucial for the task they’re performing, emphasizing the relationship between humans, animals and economy in that context. Their large scale contrasted with the comparatively small driver underlines a dynamic, isn’t it? Editor: Yes. You read it too on faces; there’s weariness visible which extends to entire composition evoking struggle and a subdued sense of purpose. Photography around the turn of the century, when Sinclair worked, started portraying a gritty version of progress. How very different the image and symbol of a “plow horse” is today… Curator: Precisely! Shifting economic relationships reflected through evolving symbology. Well, I found it helpful to dissect that one layer at a time. Editor: As did I. Recognizing those symbolic layers, informed by social reality really gave us access, didn't it?