Herder die een schaap melkt 1599 - 1664

This drawing, *Herder die een schaap melkt*, was made by Jan Miel, who lived in the 17th century. Miel was a Flemish artist known for his depictions of everyday life, particularly scenes of peasants and rural settings. In this drawing, Miel portrays a shepherd milking a sheep, a seemingly simple act, yet deeply embedded in the socio-economic structures of the time. Who was this shepherd? Was he a freeholder, a tenant farmer, or perhaps even enslaved? The labor of tending to animals, often romanticized, was backbreaking work, and the act of milking was a direct engagement with the land and its resources. Miel’s choice to depict this scene invites us to consider the lives of those who toiled in the fields, their struggles and resilience. This image prompts us to reflect on the labor, identity, and societal hierarchies that shaped the lives of ordinary people.