Artwork
Hirten mit Tieren am Wasser
Hirten mit Tieren am Wasser is an unspecified painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Johann Heinrich Roos. It dates from 1658 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Johann Heinrich Roos painted *Hirten mit Tieren am Wasser* in 1658. The oil work, now part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, presents a tranquil rural scene where a shepherd attends to his flock beside a watercourse, set against a distant mountain landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a lone shepherd, modestly dressed, guiding sheep and goats as they feed on verdant grass. The surrounding trees and the softly rolling hills suggest a harmonious relationship between humans and the natural environment, emphasizing pastoral peace and the rhythms of agrarian life.
Technique & Style
Roos employs a balanced palette of muted greens and earth tones, using layered brushwork to convey depth from foreground to distant peaks. Light is rendered delicately, illuminating the figures and foliage, while careful modulation of tone creates a sense of atmospheric distance, characteristic of mid‑seventeenth‑century German landscape painting.
History & Provenance
Completed in the late 1650s, the painting entered the holdings of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces back to the artist’s workshop, though specific ownership records prior to museum acquisition are not documented in the available sources.
Context
Roos was known for integrating animals and figures within expansive natural settings, a practice that reflected contemporary interest in idealized rural life. This work exemplifies his approach, combining genre elements with landscape, and aligns with the broader Baroque tendency to celebrate the serenity of the countryside.
Artist & collection
