Landscape with Sheep 17th-18th century

Curator: Philipp Peter Roos, who lived from 1657 to 1706, painted this scene. It is titled Landscape with Sheep and lives here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, my, those sheep look like they are plotting something. Is it just me, or do they exude a certain...gravitas? Curator: Roos was quite taken with the Italian countryside, and he painted animals with such care. The sheep, the light, the distant town—they form a surprisingly dynamic composition. Editor: Dynamic indeed. It's interesting how Roos positions the sheep not just as passive components of the landscape, but almost as figures holding counsel. It makes me think about rural economies and class struggle, in terms of animal labor. Curator: I'm more inclined to see the gentleness of nature here, a bucolic scene that stills time. Still, that interpretation is valid, too. It shows how art can speak differently through time. Editor: Well, precisely. These sheep have seen empires rise and fall—perhaps they have their own stories to tell.