Art Institute of Chicago

The Shepherd

Paulus Potter

Date

1644

Medium

Etching on ivory laid paper

Culture

Holland

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Early in his career, Paulus Potter was strongly influenced by the etchings of Gerrit Claesz. Bleker (1625–1665), which featured pastoral scenes of rustic shepherds and domestic animals. Potter favored works of this nature himself, producing both prints and drawings. Here he examined the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep, showing the farmer calming his herd by playing a flute. The beasts, in return, remain near their caretaker, despite the vast countryside in which they can roam. The sheep sit contentedly in the shade while a farmer plows the land in the distance, allowing Potter to convey the intimate connection of man and animal to the land.

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