Zwei Hirten zu Pferde treiben Vieh durchs Wasser, die Hirtin mit einem Sack wartet hindurch 1655

Nicolaes Berchem created "Zwei Hirten zu Pferde treiben Vieh durchs Wasser, die Hirtin mit einem Sack wartet hindurch" using brush and brown ink. The sepia tones and fluid lines create a scene filled with soft light and movement. Look at how Berchem constructs the composition. A diagonal line from the lower left to the upper right divides the scene, guiding our eye through the bustling activity. Note how the animals and figures are rendered with loose, expressive strokes, their forms suggested rather than rigidly defined. Berchem was deeply interested in the interplay between form and light, and the drawing reflects a sophisticated understanding of pictorial space. He uses light and shadow to give shape to forms and to model the landscape, yet also to integrate a scene of pastoral life with the theoretical underpinnings of classicism. By embracing both observation and idealization, Berchem invites us to consider the connections between nature and artifice, and how artists can reconcile them.