Jeune berger qui tente le sort pour savoir s’il est aimé de sa bergère 1760 - 1761

Jean-Baptiste Greuze painted this unnamed shepherd boy, or ‘Jeune berger’, in oil. The youth plucks at a dandelion clock, a symbol of fleeting time and, here, youthful love. This simple act, imbued with hope, has resonated through ages. The dandelion, a humble flower, carries a heavy weight of symbolic meaning. In folklore, blowing its seeds is a means of divination, echoing ancient practices of seeking answers from nature. Consider the Roman practice of augury, where the flight of birds was interpreted as divine will, or even the casting of lots, a method used across cultures to unveil hidden truths. The boy's tender gesture strikes at a deep, subconscious desire for certainty in love, a universal theme that transcends time. The delicate dance of hope and uncertainty, captured in this fleeting moment, creates an emotional connection. The act of divination using plants is non-linear; it resurfaces across time and cultures, each iteration adding layers of meaning. Greuze's shepherd boy, with his dandelion, stands within this continuum, a poignant reminder of our shared human experience.