Herder en herderin in landschap 1648 - 1664

Cornelis van Dalen II created this landscape etching, "Herder en herderin in landschap," that features a shepherd and shepherdess, height 211 mm, width 257 mm. The composition, marked by the contrast between the shaded foreground and the luminous sky, invites us to consider the interplay between darkness and light, nature and humanity. The figures, adorned with garlands, exist within a carefully constructed visual framework that uses the formal elements to destabilize conventional meanings, values, or categories. The precise linework and stark contrasts reveal the artist's manipulation of semiotic signs, compelling us to engage with the artwork's underlying structure. The cultural codes that inform the artwork's making and reception, challenge fixed meanings and engage with new ways of thinking about space, perception, and representation.