Artwork
Shepherd in Repose near a Pack Horse
Shepherd in Repose near a Pack Horse is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Francesco Londonio. It dates from 1762 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1762, this etching by Francesco Londonio depicts a shepherd reclining beside a laden pack horse. Executed on blue laid paper, the image combines etched lines with white heightening to emphasize the figures against a muted, earthy background.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a weary shepherd resting on the ground while a horse, burdened with bags, turns its head toward him. In the distance, a few sheep graze near a rocky slope, suggesting a moment of pause within a pastoral labor setting.
Technique & Style
Londonio employed traditional etching, allowing ink to fill incised lines, then applied white heightening to highlight the shepherd and animal. The limited palette of blues, grays, and earth tones, punctuated by orange accents, reflects the late‑Baroque to Rococo sensibility of expressive, genre‑focused scenes.
History & Provenance
An Italian artist active in Milan, Londonio trained under Ferdinando Porta and Giovanni Battista Sassi and studied engraving with Benigno Bossi. His career included travels to Rome and Naples, and his works were often commissioned by affluent Northern Italian patrons who favored rustic genre subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Londonio (1723–1783) was an Italian painter, engraver, and scenographer, active mainly in his native Milan in a late-Baroque or Rococo style.
