Shepherd Playing a Flute
Nicolaes Berchem
1644/45
Medium
Etching in black on cream laid paper
Dimensions
18.5 × 13.9 cm (7 5/16 × 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
32713
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
During the Renaissance and early modern periods, pastoral motifs (such as shepherds herding livestock) became quite popular, as they had been in antiquity. Pastoral images portray an idyllic fantasy of outdoor living, made to appeal to an urban audience far removed from the realities of agrarian life. One popular pastoral theme was a shepherd playing a flute for a young woman, which could have erotic undertones. Here a young man serenades not only a maiden, but also a menagerie of animals includ...