The Oxen

Tristram Ellis was a professional artist who came to Cyprus in 1878 and stayed for a few months with the aim of portraying the new British acquisition for the British public. He published a book titled Twelve Etchings of the Principal Views and Places of Interest in Cyprus (1879). While on the island, he executed more than eighty watercolours of Cyprus which he then exhibited at the Belgian Gallery in London. This watercolour has also been used for an etching in Ellis’ book Twelve Etchings of Cyprus. It depicts villagers involved in ploughing and harvesting olives in the background. In the latter case, the male figure uses a long stick to beat the olives from the branches onto a mat from which they are collected by a woman. Ploughing appears to be an exclusively male occupation not only because it requires physical strength but also due to social expectations regarding the role of men and women in the gender division of labour. Ploughing, as opposed to sowing and other farming practices is of primordial significance in the productive process. It is also worth noting here that since ancient times, the use of ox was restricted to labouring activities as the animal was not culturally classified as edible.