Artwork
Landscape with Shepherds
Landscape with Shepherds is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Alessandro Magnasco. It dates from 1720 and is held in the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1720, *Landscape with Shepherds* is an oil painting by the Italian artist Alessandro Magnasco, known as il Lissandrino. Executed during the late Baroque period, the work now belongs to the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a pastoral scene set among rolling hills dotted with trees and shrubbery. Shepherds are shown moving across the terrain, while distant mountains rise beyond a body of water, suggesting a tranquil, bucolic environment.
Technique & Style
Magnasco employs a palette that moves from earthy greens and browns in the foreground to cooler blues and grays in the sky and water. Visible, rapid brushstrokes give the surface a textured, almost sketch‑like quality, while strong chiaroscuro highlights the contrast between light and shadow.
Context
Although active mainly in Milan and Genoa, Magnasco’s work reflects the decorative and imaginative tendencies of the Rococo movement that followed the high Baroque. His landscapes often blend realistic observation with a dreamlike, stylized atmosphere.
History & Provenance
After its creation, the painting entered various private collections before being acquired by the São Paulo Museum of Art, where it is currently on display.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alessandro Magnasco (February 4, 1667 – March 12, 1749), also known as il Lissandrino, was an Italian late-Baroque painter active mostly in Milan and Genoa.
