Amor en herder met kudde bij bron c. 1785

Pierre Duflos created this print titled 'Amor en herder met kudde bij bron' – or 'Love and Shepherd with Herd at a Well' – some time in the late 18th or early 19th century. The image evokes an idealised rural existence, with references to classical antiquity. But this wasn’t simply a scene of everyday life; it reflected a yearning for a simpler, more virtuous existence, very much in vogue at the time among the European elite. Consider the presence of Cupid, here encouraging the shepherd to sing of love. The statue in the background serves as a reminder of the great artistic and cultural achievements of the past. This print belongs to a larger series of similar works called 'Idylles', which idealize rural life. It is interesting to consider how these idyllic representations relate to the social realities of the time, especially the inequalities of the pre-revolutionary French society. To understand the world of this print better, look to the literature of the period, in the work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, for example. Also, look to the institutional history of the print market in France at this time.