1658
oil
canvas
From the collection of National Gallery of Ireland
The Sleeping Shepherdess is a 1658 oil by Jan Baptist Weenix, a Dutch Golden Age work, held at National Gallery of Ireland.
This painting shows a shepherdess in a red skirt, sitting with her back against a crumbling stone wall. She's wearing a white shirt and a wide-brimmed hat, and her head is resting on her hand as if she's sleeping. A dog stands next to her, looking out at something in the distance. The scene is set in a rural landscape, with rolling hills and a few buildings visible in the background. The sky above is cloudy and grey, which adds to the peaceful atmosphere of the painting. The use of chiaroscuro in this painting creates a sense of depth and volume, drawing the viewer's eye to the shepherdess and her dog. If you're interested in learning more about this technique, you might want to look up chiaroscuro.
Jan Baptist Weenix, also spelled Jan Baptiste Weeninx (1621–1659), was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age.
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