Herder met kudde schapen op de heide 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this drawing of a shepherd with a flock of sheep on the heath using graphite on paper. Mauve was a leading figure in the Hague School, an artistic movement deeply invested in depicting the everyday life of the Netherlands. His choice to portray rural laborers reflects the late 19th-century interest in the lives of the working class. Yet, it also subtly idealizes this existence, glossing over the socio-economic struggles faced by many at the time. The shepherd, rendered with simple lines, becomes an emblem of rustic virtue, in contrast to the burgeoning industrialization that was beginning to define the Netherlands. Mauve's personal connection to Vincent van Gogh, his cousin-in-law, adds another layer to this work. One can imagine Van Gogh, wrestling with his own artistic path, observing Mauve's ability to capture the somber beauty of the Dutch landscape and its people.