A Low Cottage with a Herdsman Leading His Flock 1771

Nicolas Pérignon made this etching, titled "A Low Cottage with a Herdsman Leading His Flock," sometime in the 18th century. Pérignon lived during a time of social stratification. Visual culture often depicted the romanticism of rural life which obscured the realities of the French peasantry. Here, Pérignon shows us a herdsman, guiding his flock. Consider the role of labor and land in the construction of identity. The herdsman’s existence is closely tied to the land, and his identity is shaped by his work. What does it mean to find oneself in labor when that labor is often uncompensated? Pérignon’s etching invites us to reflect on the relationship between labor, identity, and the romanticized vision of rural life. It encourages us to consider whose stories are told and whose are left out.