Return of the Herd c. 18th century

Editor: We're looking at Ferdinand Kobell's "Return of the Herd," a pastoral scene rendered in delicate etching. The sheer density of detail, that cross-hatching, it almost feels… tactile. What strikes you about it? Curator: It's a world shrunk to fit in your hand, isn't it? Kobell conjures a whole ecosystem with such precision. I wonder about the journey of that herd, the stories they carry with them. Do you sense the cyclical nature of it all? Day in, day out... Editor: I do. There's something comforting and timeless about it. Curator: Exactly! Makes you think about our own journeys and returns. And perhaps, the peace in those in-between moments.