Boslandschap met herder en kudde schapen 1776 - 1832

Johannes Christiaan Bendorp made this print titled 'Wooded Landscape with Shepherd and Flock of Sheep' in the late 18th or early 19th century using etching. During this time, the Dutch Republic was undergoing significant political and social changes, influenced by Enlightenment ideals. Bendorp's landscape, while seemingly bucolic, participates in the construction of national identity and romantic notions of rural life. Consider the figure of the shepherd, who may reflect a certain kind of masculinity which is intertwined with the land. The shepherd, dog and sheep are crossing a shallow river, and Bendorp uses shading to create light and depth. Does the image reflect the realities of rural labor, or does it present an idealized vision? How might the print have been received by different audiences, given the socio-political context of the time? These are the questions which can allow us to see how this landscape isn't just a picture, it's a mirror reflecting society’s evolving relationship with the land and its people.