Hyrderne sender deres hunde efter ulven 1667

Claudine Bouzonnet Stella made this print, ‘Hyrderne sender deres hunde efter ulven’, sometime in the 17th century. The etching depicts a pastoral scene that reflects the social hierarchies of the time, presenting idealized images of rural life, where shepherds are charged with protecting their flocks from predators. Made in France, this image carries echoes of the aristocracy's fascination with nature and the countryside. We can consider how prints like these functioned within the art market of early modern Europe, where the circulation of images reinforced particular ideas about class, labor, and land. To fully understand the print, historians consult a variety of resources, from economic data about the print market to aristocratic letters reflecting on their country estates. The meaning of such an artwork becomes contingent on the social and institutional contexts in which it was made and viewed.