Landscape with shepherds, houses and a tower in the distance 1760 - 1770

Fabio Berardi made this etching, "Landscape with Shepherds, Houses, and a Tower in the Distance," in 18th century Italy. It’s an idealised scene, reminiscent of the Arcadian landscapes popular at the time. We see shepherds tending their flocks near a stream, while houses and a tower dot the distant hills. Such images spoke to the cultural elite's longing for a simpler, more natural existence. Italy in the 1700s was still largely agrarian, and these pastoral scenes reflected a nostalgia for rural life amid growing urbanization. Berardi, as a printmaker, likely catered to a market of wealthy landowners and urban dwellers who collected such images as tokens of a romanticized countryside. Institutions like the art academies shaped artistic tastes, promoting classical ideals and landscape conventions. To fully understand Berardi's work, we might consult period literature, economic histories of land use, and records of art patronage to reveal the complex social and cultural values embedded in this seemingly simple landscape.