Geit en jong in een landschap

About this artwork

pen in bruin, potlood, inkt

Art Historical Context

This delicate pen drawing by David Alphonse de Sandoz-Rollin captures a tender moment between a goat and its kid nestled in a quiet landscape. Executed in brown ink with touches of pencil on a modest sheet measuring just 82 by 123 millimeters, the work showcases the artist’s precise linework and sensitivity to natural forms. The small scale suggests it may have served as a preparatory study or a personal sketch, inviting close inspection of the animals’ gentle poses and the surrounding terrain. Created between 1750 and 1809, the drawing reflects the period’s growing interest in the natural world and rural life. Artists of the era often turned to such subjects to explore themes of innocence, harmony with nature, and everyday beauty. The combination of pen and ink allows for both fluid contours and subtle tonal variations, demonstrating how modest materials could convey warmth and vitality. Visitors may appreciate how this intimate work transforms an ordinary scene into something quietly poetic, highlighting the enduring appeal of animal studies in European art.

About the Artist

David Alphonse de Sandoz-Rollin · 1740–1809

Baron David Alphonse de Sandoz-Rollin (1740–1809) was a Swiss draughtsman and painter who combined artistic pursuits with diplomatic service, spending significant portions of his life in Paris while serving as secretary to the Prussian ambassador. Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in 1740, Sandoz-Rollin pursued the dual career of diplomat and artist that was not uncommon among educated European elit...