Southern Landscape with Shepherds and Sheep; verso: Study of a Sheep's Head (?) 1676

Simon van der Does created this drawing titled "Southern Landscape with Shepherds and Sheep" with pen and brown ink in the late 17th century. It presents an idealized vision of rural life, a genre popular among Dutch artists responding to the urbanizing society of the Netherlands. Van der Does, working in a period of Dutch prosperity, references classical pastoral themes, visible in the figures of shepherds and sheep, but set within a recognizably Dutch landscape. This fusion speaks to the cultural aspirations of the Dutch Golden Age, where artists sought to elevate their national identity through the lens of classical tradition. The detailed rendering suggests the institutional influence of the artist's training, likely at the Guild of Saint Luke, which standardized artistic practices. To truly understand this piece, one must consider the socio-economic context, exploring archival records to understand the market for such pastoral scenes. By analyzing the patronage and reception of this work, we can better understand the public role of art in shaping cultural identity.