Village Street, cattle, sheep and herdsman in the foreground
Original title: Village Street, cattle, sheep and herdsman in the foreground from Praediorum villarum et rusticarum casularum icones elenoantissimae ad vivum in apre deformatae
kurzbeschreibung
Johannes van Doetecum I etched this rural road scene around 1559–61, with a herdsman driving sheep and goats ahead of him. The print belongs to a series devoted to the farmsteads and cottages of the countryside. Impressions of this motif survive in the first of three states.
Description
Sheep and goats crowd the foreground, steered along by a herdsman with a staff. At the left edge two figures stand talking. A path runs through the image, lined with houses under reed or thatch; trees and bushes frame it on either side. Further back, more buildings appear, hinting at a village. Monochrome, with light spread evenly across the sheet, the print captures a particular moment of the day.
Context
The series 'Praediorum villarum et rusticarum casularum icones' was etched by Johannes van Doetecum I around 1559–61. Such sets were widely popular in the sixteenth-century Netherlands, serving artists as models and collectors as sought-after pieces. The rural subject suited Renaissance taste, which idealised simple country life.
Impact
Delicate lines and a clear layout give the sheet a calm, ordered presence. Because the light falls evenly over the surface, a harmonious, almost idyllic mood arises that draws the eye into the rural view.
Technique
The lines were etched into a copper plate. The first of three states marks an early printing phase, the plate being reworked later. The plate measures 15 x 20.2 cm, the sheet 17.7 x 25 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)