Who painted Two Shepherds and a Boy?

Two Shepherds and a Boy was painted by John Skippe in 1782.

Where can I see Two Shepherds and a Boy?

Two Shepherds and a Boy is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Two Shepherds and a Boy?

Two Shepherds and a Boy is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Two Shepherds and a Boy?

Museum-quality prints of Two Shepherds and a Boy are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Two Shepherds and a Boy

John Skippe , 1782

Two Shepherds and a Boy is an ink print by the Romanticist artist John Skippe. It dates from 1782 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:recto: in block at upper center: Trans. Par. / Opus J.S:; verso: in graphite, at bottom: 12844

About this work

Overview

John Skippe’s 1782 work, Two Shepherds and a Boy, is a color chiaroscuro woodcut printed on laid paper. The image presents a quiet rural scene with three figures, a boy lying on the ground and two shepherds kneeling nearby, set against a backdrop of trees and rolling hills.

Subject & Meaning

The composition focuses on pastoral simplicity: the shepherds, dressed in modest attire, attend to the child in a tranquil landscape. The arrangement suggests a moment of care and repose, emphasizing the gentle relationship between the figures and their environment.

Technique & Style

Skippe employed the chiaroscuro woodcut method, using multiple blocks to introduce color and tonal contrast. The interplay of light and shadow creates a sense of volume, while the laid‑paper surface contributes to the work’s subtle texture and depth.

History & Provenance

Created in the late eighteenth century, the print reflects the period’s interest in rural genre scenes. It remains attributed to Skippe, an English printmaker known for his experiments with color woodcut techniques during this era.

Context

The piece aligns with contemporary tastes for bucolic subjects that prefigure Romanticism’s fascination with nature and everyday life. Its use of chiaroscuro links it to earlier European print traditions that sought to simulate painterly effects in the medium of woodcut.