Shepherd Playing a Flute
Nicolaes Berchem · 1644/45 · Art Institute of Chicago
Guide
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From the museum
During the Renaissance and early modern periods, pastoral motifs (such as shepherds herding livestock) became quite popular, as they had been in antiquity. Pastoral images portray an idyllic fantasy of outdoor living, made to appeal to an urban audience far removed from the realities of agrarian life. One popular pastoral theme was a shepherd playing a flute for a young woman, which could have erotic undertones. Here a young man serenades not only a maiden, but also a menagerie of animals including a cow, a donkey, a goat, and a sheep.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Details
- Maker
- Nicolaes Berchem, Dutch, 1620-1683
- Date
- 1644/45
- Medium
- Etching in black on cream laid paper
- Dimensions
- 18.5 × 13.9 cm (7 5/16 × 5 1/2 in.)
- Place of origin
- Holland
- Held by
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · Not on view
- Credit line
- John H. Wrenn Memorial Collection
Image: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0
