Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van een herder en een kudde schapen door Ch. Jacques before 1863

Edmond Fierlants created this photomechanical print of a painting of a shepherd with his flock after a painting by Charles Jacques, sometime in the mid-19th century. Fierlants lived during a time of great social change, as industrialization was transforming labor and urbanization was reshaping the cultural landscape. Rural life was often romanticized, viewed as a simpler, more wholesome alternative to the industrial city, yet this was also a period of agricultural depression. Jacques specialized in pastoral scenes, which reflect a nostalgic longing for an agrarian past. There's something very tender in the depiction of the shepherd amidst his animals. Representations like these offer a window into the complex relationship between humans and the natural world, and reflect the identities and social context of both the artist and the audience. Through this artwork, Fierlants and Jacques invite us to reflect on societal values, the relationship between humanity and nature, and the powerful emotions evoked by simple, rural scenes.