The Little Shepherd

"The Little Shepherd" by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot is a seminal example of the cliché-verre technique, a unique printmaking method that flourished briefly in mid-19th century France. This hybrid process involves scratching an image directly onto a light-sensitive collodion layer coated on a glass plate, which then functions as a photographic negative to produce prints on sensitized paper. Corot was arguably the most dedicated and prolific practitioner of cliché-verre, valuing its ability to combine the expressive immediacy of drawing with the subtle tonal values achieved through light exposure, resulting in images with a distinctive atmospheric softness often associated with his painting style.

The intimate subject matter, depicting a figure—the little shepherd—settled within a quiet, expansive pastoral setting, is characteristic of Corot’s output. While the original glass plate was created much earlier, this impression of The Little Shepherd was pulled in 1921, reflecting the ongoing appreciation for these innovative prints long after the artist’s death in 1875. The specific nature of the cliché-verre technique allows for deep blacks and soft, luminous highlights, perfectly suited for rendering the quietude of the French countryside. This important piece of graphic art, classified as a print, is housed in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Prints like this, created by masters of 19th-century French landscape art, often transition into the public domain, making them essential reference points for art historians studying the cross-pollination between drawing and early photography.