Landschap met herders en kudde c. 17th century

This landscape with shepherds and herd, an anonymous work now held at the Rijksmuseum, invites us to explore the cultural memory embedded within its imagery. Dominating the scene are the figures of shepherds tending their flock, an age-old symbol of pastoral life, harking back to biblical and classical ideals of simplicity and care. Consider the shepherd: in ancient Greece, Hermes, the protector of flocks, was a psychopomp, a guide of souls. Across time, this figure morphed, emerging in Christian iconography as Christ the Good Shepherd, a guardian leading his followers. Yet here, the text warns us "It shames the sheep if they fall prey to wild beasts: carelessness is to blame. Know when it is time for vigilance." This image is a complex interplay between bucolic harmony and the ever-present threat lurking within the natural world, a tension felt throughout human history, reminding us that vigilance must temper our nostalgia.