Herder met zijn kudde runderen bij een wed

The drawing Herder met zijn kudde runderen bij een wed by Claude Lorrain, executed in ink on paper between 1630 and 1635, exemplifies the emergence of the idealized landscape aesthetic in the 17th century. Classified as a Drawing, this work depicts a serene pastoral moment where a herdsman guides his small flock of cattle toward a shallow watering hole, known locally as a wed. The composition is characterized by the careful placement of towering trees and naturalistic rock formations, which frame the central activity and lead the viewer’s eye into the distant, softly defined horizon.

Lorrain, who spent most of his professional life in Rome, utilized drawing as a crucial tool for studying nature and developing the balanced, classical compositions that defined his legacy. The application of ink here demonstrates his ability to establish depth and atmospheric perspective through varied line quality and shading, giving subtle weight to the foliage and clarity to the figures. Even in this smaller format, the piece suggests the grand, contemplative quality found in Lorrain’s large-scale oil paintings, establishing him as the preeminent master of the classical landscape genre.

This important example of 17th-century draughtsmanship is proudly preserved in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. It serves as vital documentation of Lorrain’s working process during a pivotal decade in his career. Like many historical works on paper, this drawing demonstrates the enduring appeal of the master's technique. Today, high-quality images and prints of these foundational drawings are often digitized and released into the public domain, making Lorrain’s influential vision accessible to art lovers and students globally.