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Shepherd Playing a Flute

A work made of etching in black on cream laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of etching in black on cream laid paper.

Date:

1644/45

Artist:

Nicolaes Berchem
Dutch, 1620-1683

About this artwork

During the Renaissance and early modern periods, pastoral motifs (such as shepherds herding livestock) became quite popular, as they had been in antiquity. Pastoral images portray an idyllic fantasy of outdoor living, made to appeal to an urban audience far removed from the realities of agrarian life. One popular pastoral theme was a shepherd playing a flute for a young woman, which could have erotic undertones. Here a young man serenades not only a maiden, but also a menagerie of animals including a cow, a donkey, a goat, and a sheep.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Nicolaes Berchem

Title

Shepherd Playing a Flute

Place

Holland (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1644–1645

Medium

Etching in black on cream laid paper

Dimensions

18.5 × 13.9 cm (7 5/16 × 5 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

John H. Wrenn Memorial Collection

Reference Number

1926.1888

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/32713/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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