Shepherd with a flock of sheep and a cow among ruins 1600 - 1700

Jan Baptist Weenix created this drawing of a shepherd with his animals among ruins using pen, brown ink and watercolour. Weenix was known for Italianising landscapes, reflecting the period’s fascination with classical antiquity and the pastoral life. The artwork evokes a sense of nostalgia for a simpler existence, yet it also suggests the transience of human achievement through its depiction of crumbling architecture. Consider how the shepherd, an archetypal figure, embodies traditional masculinity, strength, and connection to nature. This contrasts with the women in the background who represent a more passive role. The romanticized view of rural life obscures the socio-economic realities of labor and land ownership. The inclusion of the ruins transforms the experience of the landscape: it reminds us that all empires eventually turn to dust.