Schaapsherder met een kudde schapen in Zuid-Frankrijk c. 1870 - 1900

Editor: So, this stereograph, "Schaapsherder met een kudde schapen in Zuid-Frankrijk" – that's "Shepherd with a flock of sheep in the South of France" – was created by John Fillis Jarvis sometime between 1870 and 1900. It's amazing how this medium captures a seemingly simple, quiet moment. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Immediately, I see echoes of the pastoral tradition, linking back to classical ideas of an idealized rural life. But photography brings an interesting tension here, doesn't it? Editor: How so? Curator: Well, painting a landscape like this allows for selective idealization, emphasizing certain details. Photography, however, particularly in this era, offers what was perceived as unvarnished realism. The cultural memory embedded in these images often reflects a nostalgia for a simpler existence. Note how the shepherd, while present, isn't idealized, and his role is still central to that imagery. What does his posture convey to you? Editor: I see him standing fairly straight but the way that the photo puts us right with the sheep makes them more prominent than he is. Maybe, a humble servitude is more the intent, here. Curator: Precisely. Think, too, of the olive trees – they're a loaded symbol: peace, abundance, wisdom. Jarvis isn’t merely recording a scene; he's consciously engaging with pre-existing notions, reaffirming a connection to tradition while also grounding the subject in observed reality. Editor: I never considered how the olive trees added to the message. That's very helpful! Curator: And that interplay, between realism and established symbolic order, is what I find continually compelling about these kinds of photographs. Editor: It’s definitely changed how I see the photograph now!