Herder met kudde c. 1858 - 1898

This is "Herder met kudde", or "Shepherd with Flock," a small sculpture by Arnoldus Wilhelmus Flemminks. The piece is striking for its composition, it’s a silver tableau of rural life. A shepherd stands tall, staff in hand, overseeing his flock of sheep and his watchful dog. The silver material gives a uniform metallic sheen. This sheen unifies the diverse figures, emphasizing their shared existence in a constructed, pastoral world. The base, patterned with an incised grid, suggests an ordered, almost artificial landscape. This geometrical foundation contrasts with the more organic forms of the animals. It introduces a tension between the natural and the constructed. The contrast is a play with semiotics; the dog and sheep represent a human ordered landscape, the dog in his collar is domesticated and man-made. The artwork creates a dialogue. A dialogue between nature and culture, freedom and control, and the real versus the ideal. It captures a moment, yet also invites reflection on broader themes of human interaction with the natural world.