The Shepherd Seated on a Fountain and the Spinner
1652
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1652
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Shepherd Seated on a Fountain and the Spinner is a 1652 ink by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a shepherd sitting on a rock, playing a pipe while sheep rest around him. Nearby, a woman spins wool, her basket and tools beside her. The scene looks like a quiet countryside, with trees and bushes in the background. The artist used fine lines to show texture—notice how the sheep’s wool and the woman’s clothes look almost three-dimensional. This isn’t a painting; it’s an etching, where the image is carved into metal and inked. Check out etching to see how artists create prints this way.
