Herders met vee in een berglandschap 1769

Jacob van de Velde created this etching titled "Herdsmen with Cattle in a Mountainous Landscape" sometime in the 1700s in the Netherlands. The image depicts a scene of rural life, with shepherds and their animals amidst a hilly terrain. This artwork reflects the cultural and economic importance of agriculture in the Netherlands during that era. The depiction of everyday labor offers a glimpse into the social structure of the time, highlighting the lives of those engaged in agricultural work. Van de Velde’s choice to depict this subject matter also invites reflection on the role of art institutions and the market. Genre scenes like this one were growing in popularity, driven by a rising merchant class eager to decorate their homes with images of the countryside. As art historians, we often turn to archival records, such as estate inventories and sales catalogues, to better understand the social contexts of art.