Landschap met herder en herderin 1741 - 1820

Abraham Delfos etched this pastoral scene with a shepherd and shepherdess sometime in the 18th century. The shepherdess, standing with her flock, evokes images of the Good Shepherd, a motif dating back to early Christian art, symbolizing care and protection. Yet, here, the male shepherd reclines passively. This inversion is intriguing. The arcadian theme, with shepherds in idyllic landscapes, hearkens back to classical antiquity. Think of the myth of Endymion, the eternally sleeping shepherd, beloved by the moon goddess Selene. Could this be a visual echo resonating through centuries? Such images tap into our collective memory, stirring deep-seated notions of nature, leisure, and perhaps, a longing for a simpler, more harmonious existence. This scene becomes not just a depiction, but a vessel carrying layers of cultural meaning, each viewing an act of rediscovery.