Italian Landscape with Shepherds at a River c. 1650 - 1655

Curator: Berchem’s “Italian Landscape with Shepherds at a River," made around 1650-1655, shimmers with light. It's held here at the Städel Museum. Editor: My first impression is that of a beautifully rendered pastoral scene. But the lighting also strikes me, this hazy glow makes everything look quite dreamlike, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. The way he captures the sun-drenched atmosphere is remarkable. Berchem’s interest lay in rendering not just what he saw but, also, the sensory experience of it. One can almost feel the warmth radiating from the canvas. It was all done with oils of course, layered meticulously. Editor: Ah, yes, oil paint. This technique gave him tremendous flexibility. Look closely, and you see how skillfully he suggests different textures – the wool of the sheep, the bark of the trees. Did he make his own paints, I wonder, grinding pigments to get those specific earthy tones? Curator: That's fascinating to think about! He probably had assistants, dividing the labor. The way the work's organised in many studios, it would give different tasks to workers specializing in them: painting animals, or landscapes. The human element, of workshop practices really influences the art being produced. I can only speculate. Looking at the finished work, my interest goes toward the composition and interplay between figures, animals and the environment. It brings to mind idyllic poetry… Editor: "Idyllic" is right. The clothing of the figures… perhaps they symbolize something specific about the social class? Or a longing for a simpler, rural existence in comparison to urban life in Holland during that time. After all, paintings are objects within a larger, socioeconomic fabric... They were made to be sold on a certain type of market, they may communicate aspirations, it depends how you look at them... Curator: That makes me consider the audience Berchem sought… Perhaps these landscapes spoke to the wealthy merchant class. Pictures offered them glimpses of beauty or simple existence... What do you think? Editor: It would appear that these consumers were buying much more than just images. The labor, materials, even the nostalgia packaged and ready to hang. Curator: Ultimately, thinking of the light and shadows in the painting, to look so deeply at nature. It fills me with something very difficult to name. Editor: To look closely at the materiality helps to remember its place in society; paintings are material expressions with histories of their own.