Shepherd and Shepherdess with their Flock at a Well (1668)

Dated 1668, "Shepherd and Shepherdess with their Flock at a Well" is an artwork by Adriaen van de Velde. Context for 1668: In the Dutch Republic, a prosperous middle-class market supported landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and scenes of daily life painted at a modest scale for the home. The seventeenth century is the age of the Baroque, which favoured dramatic light, movement, and strong emotion in the work of painters in Italy, Spain, and Flanders. Figurative, a short history: Portraits, group scenes, studies of the nude, and pictures of daily life all belong to figurative art. Figurative art depicts people and recognisable scenes, and it has been central to European painting since antiquity. It is listed in the Figurative collection. The image is in landscape orientation.

"Shepherd and Shepherdess with their Flock at a Well" is shown in the onlly.art catalogue for reference and browsing. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Figurative works draw attention to the human presence, the gesture, and the emotional tone, so they work particularly well as a standalone focal point in living rooms, studies, and bedrooms. Browsing works by the same artist, or from the same period, is a good way to compare styles before choosing what suits your space.

Dutch, 1636–1672

If you like the visual language of Adriaen van de Velde, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.