Artwork
Shepherdess on a Donkey
Shepherdess on a Donkey is an ink print by the Baroque artist Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Shepherdess on a Donkey is a 1652 etching by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, a prominent Dutch Golden Age artist. The print depicts a serene pastoral scene with two women on a donkey, accompanied by a sheep, dog, and landscape elements.
Subject & Meaning
The etching combines romanticized Italian scenery with everyday figures, reflecting Berchem’s characteristic style of blending the mundane with idyllic, potentially allegorical, landscapes.
Technique & Style
Detailed etching lines capture textures of animals and landscape. Shading techniques, particularly in clothing folds and animal fur, create a three-dimensional effect, enhancing depth perception.
History & Provenance
Created in 1652 by Berchem, a second-generation Dutch Italianate landscape painter, as part of his extensive output of paintings and prints.
Context
Influenced by Berchem’s studies or travels in Italy, incorporating classical pastoral imagery into a Dutch Golden Age artistic context.
Legacy
Contributes to Berchem’s reputation as a leading figure in Dutch Golden Age art, exemplifying the period’s pastoral landscape traditions.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1 October 1620 – 18 February 1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and…
