Landscape with Sleeping Peasants c. 1605

Jacques de Gheyn II created this drawing of a landscape with sleeping peasants using pen and brown ink. De Gheyn lived through a period of upheaval in the Netherlands, marked by the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. Here, the sleeping peasants are rendered with the softness of the pen, their rest a stark contrast to the social and political unrest of the time. It is a scene that invites reflection on the lives of ordinary people amidst historical turbulence. The landscape itself is rendered with the same delicate touch as the figures. The choice to depict peasants, a class often overlooked in grand historical narratives, speaks volumes. It reflects a growing interest in the everyday lives of common folk, even as the world around them was in turmoil. The drawing evokes a quiet intimacy, a moment of respite captured. Consider how it invites us to reflect on our own relationship to work, rest, and the landscapes that frame our lives.