Schaapherder die op zijn staf leunt c. 1884 - 1887

Willem Witsen made this sketch of a shepherd leaning on his staff with crayon on paper. Witsen was part of the Amsterdam Impressionism movement in the Netherlands that captured everyday life and landscapes. Here, the shepherd and his flock are portrayed against a grey sky. The sketch aesthetic and ordinary subject matter reflect a broader shift in art toward realism. This movement sought to portray the world as it was, often focusing on the lives of ordinary people. Produced in the late 19th and early 20th century, this work contrasts the romanticized depictions of rural life that had been popular in earlier art. Here, the focus is on labor and the relationship between man and nature, though the shepherd is given a strong sense of quiet dignity. Art historians might explore archives from the Amsterdam Impressionism movement to fully contextualize this image, as well as documentation of the Dutch art market and the ways in which ordinary people were represented visually at the time.