Johann Lorenz Rugendas I (German, 1730-1799)
after Charles Eisen (French, 1720-1778)
Pastoral Cruelty
INV-1332
Johann Lorenz Rugendas I (German, 1730-1799)
after Charles Eisen (French, 1720-1778)n.d.
Pastoral Cruelty
Johann Lorenz Rugendas I (German, 1730-1799) after Charles Eisen (French, 1720-1778) →engravingprint
Date
n.d.
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 29 × 19.1 cm (11 7/16 × 7 9/16 in.); Sheet: 38.6 × 24.1 cm (15 1/4 × 9 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
The Wallace L. DeWolf and Joseph Brooks Fair Collections
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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