Shepherd in Repose near a Pack Horse c. 1762

Francesco Londonio created this delicate drawing of a Shepherd in Repose near a Pack Horse sometime in the 18th century. This was a time when Europe’s elites, who were the main consumers of art, were developing a taste for images of rural life. Londonio was from Milan, in what is now Italy, and this drawing reflects the artistic and economic structures of that time. It wasn't intended as a realistic depiction of the hard lives of shepherds. Instead, it's more of an idealized, sentimental view of country life, designed to appeal to wealthy city dwellers. The shepherd is portrayed as being at leisure, and the presence of the pack horse alludes to the transportation of goods from the countryside to the city and a trading network in which the elites have a prominent role. To understand Londonio's work better, it's helpful to look at other art, literature, and economic data from 18th-century Italy. This helps us understand the social and institutional context in which it was made.