Shepherds Defending their Herds
1628
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Jacques Callot
Jacques Callot was a baroque printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine.
See the richer artist page1628
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Shepherds Defending their Herds is a 1628 ink by Jacques Callot, a Baroque work, depicting Hunting, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows rough shepherds in torn clothes, wielding clubs and stones. It’s one of the first prints to show a real battle, not just heroes. War wasn’t always about kings and swords—here it’s just poor farmers fighting to save their sheep. Callot was a French printmaker who lived through wars in Italy. He drew what he saw: no pretty faces, no grand poses. His lines are sharp, almost scratchy, but full of noise and motion. Look for the same raw energy in works by Rembrandt.
Jacques Callot was a baroque printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine.
See the richer artist page
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