The Shepherds Rest; a young man resting on a stick while his dog lies at his feet 1752 - 1804

Editor: This is "The Shepherds Rest," also known as "Le Repos du Berger" by Pietro Jacopo Palmieri, dating somewhere between 1752 and 1804. It's an engraving, a monochromatic print really, depicting a shepherd pausing in his work, his dog resting beside him. It’s interesting how the diagonal of the resting stick seems to be echoed by the angle of the dead tree. What do you see when you look at this print? Curator: It strikes me how the artist manipulates tonal gradations to create depth and mood. Notice the figure’s posture, the internal triangle of his body. And how that angle is emphasized by the bare tree trunk to the left of the frame. Palmieri uses the tools available to him – line, tone, and texture – to elicit a sense of weary contemplation. Are we to suppose that he is just having a pause from work? Or do we believe that something else might be going on here? Editor: So you are saying the lines are very deliberate. It looks like there's maybe a story in the shape of the figure, but is there some further significance suggested by the relationship between, say, the sleeping dog and the shepherd’s contemplative state? Curator: Precisely. The composition invites a semiotic reading. The dog, curled in repose, mirrors a certain lassitude present in the shepherd. Look also at the hatching technique used to build up shadow. Palmieri’s considered placement and variation gives volume and substance to otherwise flat space. How do you react to this, as someone viewing the image for the first time? Editor: I see your point about the shading giving him a lot more weight in the space; without it he would blend into the background. Looking closely I would suggest it might be interesting to compare it with others of the period and see if similar construction techniques were used by others. Curator: Indeed. And by attending to these formal elements, we are able to understand more deeply how this piece speaks. Editor: It’s interesting to consider just the marks themselves and how they construct a narrative that wouldn’t exist otherwise. Curator: A worthy conclusion!