Landschap met herders en ruïne 1679 - 1728

Johannes Gronsveld created this landscape with herders en ruïne etching sometime between 1672 and 1728. A native of the Dutch Golden Age, Gronsveld was working in a society transformed by the trauma of religious wars and preoccupied with the rise of the merchant class. The presence of both shepherds and ruins speaks to this moment of upheaval, where traditional agricultural life was waning even as the reminders of the past were crumbling away. We see figures placed throughout the landscape, on horseback, on foot, and at rest. In this way, the piece speaks to the social hierarchies of the time, as the shepherds guide the cattle and the ruins become an idyllic setting for the leisured class. Gronsveld seems to be questioning the tension between the desire for a pastoral lifestyle and the social and economic realities of his time. Ultimately, this artwork presents a landscape that serves as a reflection of the societal shifts and hierarchical structures, inviting us to ponder our own relationship with the past.