Sheep c. 18th century

Curator: This is Francesco Londonio's "Sheep," an etching whose date is unknown, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts a small flock in repose. Editor: There's a quiet vulnerability to them, isn't there? The sheep seem both watchful and completely at ease, all at once. It makes you think about domestication, about control, and the illusion of safety. Curator: Londonio was very interested in the pastoral tradition. He made many drawings of animals, often focusing on their material qualities—the texture of the wool, the musculature beneath. Think of the labor involved in shepherding, the wool trade, the land enclosure movements of the time. Editor: Right, and the etching itself, as a medium, makes me think about print culture, about making images accessible, potentially even as a form of propaganda related to land use. Who was consuming these images, and what did these animals represent to them? Curator: It's a fascinating intersection of class, labor, and representation. Editor: Absolutely. It gives you a lot to think about, considering this seemingly simple pastoral scene.