Landschap met herders 1739 - 1780

Francesco Bartolozzi created this landscape with herders sometime in the late 18th century using pen and ink. It reflects a growing fashion at the time for pastoral scenes, celebrating the virtues of rural life. But this image is more than just a pretty picture. It presents an idealized vision of the countryside, one that obscures the realities of agricultural labor and social inequality. Made in Italy, it’s important to consider how specific features of that culture, such as its economic structures, might have influenced the artwork. Was this idyll intended to shore up the status quo, or perhaps to critique the institutions of art by offering a more grounded perspective? As historians, we use a variety of resources – from economic data to political pamphlets – to better understand the context in which art is made. Ultimately, the meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context, and it’s up to us to uncover those layers of meaning.