Herder met koeien en schapen voor een watermolen 1675 - 1711

Pieter Schenk created this detailed etching of a landscape with a shepherd and animals, now held at the Rijksmuseum. The composition, divided horizontally, presents a foreground of detailed vegetation leading to a middle ground where the figures and animals are placed, against a backdrop of distant mountains and architectural elements. Schenk employs a structured approach to organizing space, using the reflective water as a dividing plane that enhances depth. The intricate line work defines the texture of the foliage, the contours of the landscape, and the atmospheric perspective that softens the distant peaks. The work invites contemplation on the relationship between humanity and nature, mediated through Schenk's formal control of line and space. In this way, the etching functions as a site for exploring the construction of pastoral ideals through the structured language of visual art.