Artwork
A Shepherdess and Her Flock
A Shepherdess and Her Flock is an oil painting by the Plein Air artist Anton Mauve. It dates from 1873 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By placing a female figure in a traditionally male role of shepherd, Mauve subtly comments on gendered notions of stewardship and domestic virtue.
The painting portrays a young woman standing beside a dog while a flock of sheep grazes behind her, set in a tranquil landscape. The shepherdess, dressed in simple attire, embodies ideals of modest virtue and rural purity, while the obedient dog and the gentle sheep reinforce themes of guidance and innocence. The work reflects 19th‑century Romantic fascination with pastoral scenes and the moral qualities associated with country life, suggesting a harmonious relationship between humanity and nature.
By placing a female figure in a traditionally male role of shepherd, Mauve subtly comments on gendered notions of stewardship and domestic virtue.
Technique & Style
A Shepherdess and Her Flock is an oil painting executed on canvas, a standard support for Anton Mauve's pastoral subjects of the early 1870s. The relatively modest dimensions of 45.4 by 64.1 centimeters indicate a horizontal cabinet-scale format suited to intimate genre scenes. Working in oil allowed Mauve to render the soft tonal gradations characteristic of his Hague School style, blending muted earth tones to evoke the atmospheric conditions of the Dutch countryside.
The composition centers on a shepherdess accompanied by her flock of sheep and a dog, subjects treated with naturalistic observation and a restrained, tonal palette typical of Mauve's handling of rural life. The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The work titled A Shepherdess and Her Flock was painted by Anton Mauve in 1873 using oil on canvas, as recorded in the artwork’s catalogue entry and confirmed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s metadata. The painting was executed in the Netherlands during Mauve’s early career, reflecting his interest in rural genre scenes. Following its creation, the canvas entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been displayed in the European paintings wing since its acquisition.
The museum’s records indicate the work’s accession as part of the museum’s permanent holdings, establishing its current ownership and provenance within the institution.
A Shepherdess and Her Flock, an 1873 oil painting by Anton Mauve, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, which depicts a woman with sheep and a dog, is cataloged with an accession number that corresponds to the museum's records for this specific piece. While the provided sources confirm the artwork's location at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its creation date of 1873, they do not supply a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they detail any exhibition history for the painting.
Consequently, the section is limited to the confirmed institutional holding and the general identification of the work within that collection.
Overview
A Shepherdess and Her Flock, painted in oil by Anton Mauve in 1873, exemplifies the artist's characteristic focus on rural life. As a prominent Dutch realist and member of the Hague School, Mauve frequently depicted pastoral scenes and agricultural laborers. This work captures a woman tending her sheep, accompanied by a dog, under an overcast sky. The painting is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Context
Anton Mauve was a key figure within the Hague School, a movement known for its realist depictions of Dutch landscapes and everyday life. His sensitive portrayals of rural subjects, particularly sheep and their tenders, resonated widely. This specific genre of Mauve's work found considerable appreciation among American collectors, contributing to his international recognition during his lifetime and beyond.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Anthonij "Anton" Rudolf Mauve (Dutch pronunciation:; 18 September 1838 – 5 February 1888) was a Dutch realist painter who was a leading member of the Hague School.
