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An Elderly Shepherd Leading the Flock

Gaetano Zompini

1758

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century

Dominant colour

An Elderly Shepherd Leading the Flock is a 1758 ink by Gaetano Zompini, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Gaetano Zompini
When & what style?: 1758 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a rough, hilly landscape with a few scraggly trees. In the foreground, a tired-looking man in simple clothes leads a small herd of goats and sheep. On a rocky hilltop, another person sits with a dog, watching the scene below. The lines are scratchy and uneven, giving it a hand-drawn, almost sketchy feel. The artist used a technique that lets ink sit on the plate in a way that makes the lines look rough and expressive. This wasn’t polished—it feels more like a quick study than a finished work. If you like this style, look up etching to see how artists create these kinds of prints.