Landschap met een kudde vee en een herder 1822

This landscape with cattle and shepherd was produced by Philipp Veith, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century, using etching. It depicts a scene of rural idyll, with grazing animals overseen by a shepherd, all set against a backdrop of rolling hills and a modest dwelling. Such scenes were popular in the rapidly industrializing nations of Europe, especially in places like Germany. They evoked an idealized past of agricultural labor and close communion with nature. These images were particularly appealing to the growing urban middle class, who often felt alienated by the social and environmental transformations of their time. In studying such works, the historian might consider the artist’s biography, or the exhibition venues where the work was shown. They might also look at how the image reflects or refutes the social realities of its time. What we see in art is contingent on many forces, not least of which is the felt experience of modernization.