Paulus Potter
Dutch, 1625-1654
The Shepherd
INV-2211
Paulus Potter
Dutch, 1625-16541644
The Shepherd
Paulus Potter Dutch, 1625-1654 →printprints and drawing
Date
1644
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
18.1 × 26.8 cm (7 3/16 × 10 9/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Bernard F. Rogers Collection
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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