Landschap met herders en een kudde 1840 - 1895

Alfred Alexandre Delauney created this landscape with shepherds and a herd using etching, sometime between 1830 and 1894. This piece provides a glimpse into the pastoral ideal that was so popular during the 19th century. In the 19th century, rapid industrialization changed the landscape of Europe. Urban centers grew and rural life was left behind. In that context, Delauney’s etching romanticizes the life of shepherds, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, pre-industrial existence. Note how the artist depicts the figures, their faces turned away, anonymous, perhaps alluding to the collective identity and the timelessness of rural communities. Consider the emotional undercurrent of this image. There's an implied longing for a life untouched by modernity. Delauney's work not only reflects the aesthetic preferences of his time, but also carries the weight of societal transformations and the quiet yearning for what was being lost.