Nicolaes Berchem
Dutch, 1620-1683
Shepherd Playing a Flute
INV-3271
Nicolaes Berchem
Dutch, 1620-16831644/45
Shepherd Playing a Flute
Nicolaes Berchem Dutch, 1620-1683 →etchingprint
Date
1644/45
Medium
Etching in black on cream laid paper
Dimensions
18.5 × 13.9 cm (7 5/16 × 5 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
John H. Wrenn Memorial Collection
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.
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