Artwork
Gathering in the Flock
Gathering in the Flock is a print by Charles François Daubigny. It dates from 1862 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1862, *Gathering in the Flock* is a print by French artist Charles‑François Daubigny, a figure linked to the Barbizon circle and an early influence on Impressionism. The image presents a solitary herder in an open field, surrounded by barren trees and a modest flock, rendered with a stark contrast of light and shadow.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a lone individual, staff in hand, guiding a small group of sheep or goats across a weed‑strewn landscape. The sparse, leaf‑less trees and the expansive sky emphasize the isolation of rural labor, while the gentle movement of the animals suggests a quiet, everyday rhythm of countryside life.
Technique & Style
Daubigny employed deep, black line work to generate a pronounced chiaroscuro effect, heightening the visual tension between illuminated areas and deep shadows. This approach, characteristic of his experimental printmaking, underscores the atmospheric quality of the scene and reflects his broader interest in capturing transient light across natural settings.
History & Provenance
The print emerged during a period when Daubigny was expanding beyond traditional oil painting into etching and the lesser‑known cliché‑verre process. Though originally produced for a limited audience, the work later entered public collections, illustrating the artist’s role in bridging 19th‑century landscape painting with emerging modernist tendencies.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles-François Daubigny ( DOH-bin-yee, US: DOH-been-YEE, doh-BEEN-yee, French: ; 15 February 1817 – 19 February 1878) was a French painter, one of the members of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of…
