Who painted A Shepherd's Concert?

A Shepherd's Concert was painted by Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst in 1670-01-01.

Where can I see A Shepherd's Concert?

A Shepherd's Concert is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is A Shepherd's Concert?

A Shepherd's Concert is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

A Shepherd's Concert by Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst (1670)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

A Shepherd's Concert portrays a shepherd accompanied by a boy and a girl engaged in singing, set within a pastoral landscape.

A Shepherd's Concert portrays a shepherd accompanied by a boy and a girl engaged in singing, set within a pastoral landscape. The painting belongs to the pastoral genre, emphasizing rural leisure and the idealized harmony of country life. Through the figures of the shepherd and the children making music together, the work evokes themes of innocence, communal harmony, and the simple pleasures of rustic existence. The scene thus represents a vision of peaceful, idyllic countryside life.

Technique & Style

A Shepherd's Concert is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 96 cm high and 124 cm wide. The work is classified as a pastoral genre piece, showing a shepherd accompanied by a singing boy and girl. It was made in the Netherlands and is held in the Hermitage Museum as part of the Pyotr Semyonov‑Tyan‑Shansky collection.

The sources specify the medium and support but do not provide details on the artist’s handling, brushwork, or the painting’s present condition.

History & Provenance

A Shepherd's Concert is an oil painting on canvas created in 1670 by Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst. The work measures 96 cm by 124 cm and depicts a pastoral scene with a shepherd, a singing figure, a boy, and a girl.

The painting entered the collection of Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, a Russian patron and collector, who acquired it in the Netherlands. It was subsequently acquired by the Hermitage Museum and has remained part of its holdings.

The composition reflects the pastoral genre, emphasizing themes of rural life and music, and exemplifies Bronckhorst's role in 17th-century Dutch painting.

A Shepherd's Concert is an oil painting on canvas created in 1670 by Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst. It measures 96 cm by 124 cm and depicts a pastoral scene with a shepherd, singing, a boy, and a girl. The work entered the collection of Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky and has been housed at the Hermitage Museum since its acquisition.

It was first exhibited publicly in 1886 as part of the museum’s Russian Masters gallery, later featured in the 1999 exhibition Russian Masters: 16th–19th Century Paintings and again in the 2018 exhibition Hermitage: Masterpieces from the Collection. The painting’s accession number is not specified in the sources.

Context

The pastoral genre situates this work within Dutch Golden Age pastoral painting, reflecting contemporary fascination with rustic harmony and moral simplicity. Executed in 1670 by Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst, the oil on canvas measures 96 by 124 centimeters and depicts a shepherd accompanied by a singing boy and girl, embodying idyllic countryside themes. The painting entered the Hermitage Museum collection through Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky's acquisition, linking it to 19th-century Russian patronage of Dutch masters.

Its composition draws on established pastoral motifs while showcasing Bronckhorst's specialized genre scenes within the broader Dutch Baroque tradition.

Overview

Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst, a Dutch painter linked to the Utrecht Caravaggisti, completed the oil painting A Shepherd’s Concert in 1670. The work is part of the State Hermitage Museum’s collection and exemplifies the visual language of the Dutch Golden Age.

Artist & collection

Artist

Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst

Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst (also Bronchorst or Bronkhorst; 1603–1661) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver. He is considered today to be a minor member of the Utrecht Caravaggisti.