Art Institute of Chicago

Pastoral Cruelty

Johann Lorenz Rugendas I (German, 1730-1799)

Date

n.d.

Medium

Etching on ivory laid paper

Culture

Germany

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Damon: Chloris! Is solitude better than a secure home? Is it better than the love that true Damon offers you? Chloris: Damon, hold your tongue about your love, which is laughable to me. My freedom and my roses, I love both more than you. Johann Lorenz Rugendas I’s etchings often feature playful vignettes atop classically ornamented stands. Here Damon and Chloris appear in an Arcadian setting, surrounded by lush vegetation. In response to Damon’s declaration of love, Chloris recoils, upending her basket of roses. This forceful rejection of his love provides a piquant alternative to the normally placid and tranquil tone of pastoral poetry.

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