The Shepherd 1748 - 1758

Claude Augustin Duflos le Jeune etched "The Shepherd," sometime in the 18th century, a seemingly simple pastoral scene imbued with complex symbolism. At its heart lies the figure of the shepherd boy with the lamb, a motif resonating with biblical and classical allegories of innocence, purity, and divine guidance. Consider the "Criophorus," the lamb-bearer, a symbol found in ancient Greek sculpture; it represents sacrifice and redemption. Here, however, the mood is less solemn, more sentimental. Centuries later, this motif reappears, transformed yet familiar. The shepherd, now a child, evokes a nostalgic longing for an idealized past, reflecting the shifting cultural values of the Enlightenment and the rise of Romanticism. Note how the very act of embracing the lamb, a gesture of tenderness, taps into our collective yearning for harmony with nature. The cyclical progression of these symbols reveals how they evolve, resurface, and take on new meanings across time.