The Hinny Drover, via Appia 

This etching titled "The Hinny Drover, via Appia" was created in the 17th century by Dutch artist Jan Both, during a period when Northern European artists like Both were drawn to the landscapes and classical history of Italy. Here, we see figures paused by the roadside with their pack animals. These working people and their beasts of burden existed on the margins of the Grand Tour, a tradition of travel undertaken by wealthy Europeans, who were eager to witness the glories of Roman antiquity. Both offers us a glimpse into another kind of experience of Italy. Though these figures occupy the same spaces, their interactions were often shaped by social and economic disparities. Both subtly acknowledges class differences, portraying labor as part of the landscape even as the ruins in the background fade into the scene. By focusing on the mundane moments of everyday life, Both invites us to consider the experiences of the people who shaped and sustained these iconic landscapes.