Skip to main content

Claude, 'Landscape with a Goatherd and Goats', about 1636-7

Key facts
Full title Landscape with a Goatherd and Goats
Artist Claude
Artist dates 1604/5? - 1682
Date made about 1636-7
Medium and support oil on canvas
Dimensions 52 × 42 cm
Acquisition credit Presented by Sir George Beaumont, 1826
Inventory number NG58
Location Room 39
Collection Main Collection
Previous owners
Landscape with a Goatherd and Goats
Claude
/

This small painting beautifully evokes the lushness of the natural world. A young man rests against the base of a tree and turns his head towards us. He holds one hand to his mouth as if playing a flute just out of view, a pose derived from images of the classical hero Orpheus charming the animals with his music. In classical art and literature, the shepherd or goatherd was often a symbol of a lost age of innocence or a celebration of solitude away from worldly cares.

This shady woodland scene, positioned on the edge of a flat landscape, allows a glimpse of a river beyond. The serpentine tree trunks on the left draw our eye through to the glistening stream and blue mountains in the distance. The precise delineation of the trees is based on close observation of nature, and the layering of paint for the foliage creates a subtle contrast between light and shade.

Download image
Download low-resolution image

Download a low-resolution copy of this image for personal use.

License this image

License and download a high-resolution image for reproductions up to A3 size from the National Gallery Picture Library.

License image
Download low-resolution image

This image is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.

Examples of non-commercial use are:

  • Research, private study, or for internal circulation within an educational organisation (such as a school, college or university)
  • Non-profit publications, personal websites, blogs, and social media

The image file is 800 pixels on the longest side.

As a charity, we depend upon the generosity of individuals to ensure the collection continues to engage and inspire. Help keep us free by making a donation today.

Download low-resolution image

You must agree to the Creative Commons terms and conditions to download this image.

Creative Commons Logo