Kneeling Shepherd 

Jacopo Ligozzi rendered this drawing of a Kneeling Shepherd in pen and brown ink with brown wash over traces of black chalk. The shepherd's form is rendered with careful attention to the modulation of light and shadow, creating a striking contrast. The grid-like structure underneath the drawing is intriguing. It suggests a calculated approach, reflecting Ligozzi's interest in precision and order. The shepherd kneels, head turned, with clasped hands, while holding a lamb upside down by its feet. The overall effect is one of tension, created through the formal arrangement of figures within the composition. Ligozzi's use of line and wash destabilizes the traditional pastoral scene. The drawing challenges fixed meanings, engaging with new ways of thinking about space and representation. This intersection between the formal elements and the subversion of pastoral themes, creates a work of intellectual and visual complexity.