A Landscape, with Cattle, and with Mercury and Battus - Richard Earlom

A 1776 mezzotint by Richard Earlom, reproducing a classical pastoral drawing by Claude Lorrain from the Duke of Devonshire's collection.

This print is a masterful mezzotint by Richard Earlom, produced in 1776 for John Boydell. It reproduces a drawing by the French master Claude Lorrain, which was held in the collection of the Duke of Devonshire. The scene depicts a classical pastoral setting, a hallmark of Lorrain's work, where the natural world is ordered by human activity and mythological narrative.

In the foreground, a figure identified as Mercury sits upon a rock, tending to a herd of cattle and goats. The composition draws the eye across a tranquil river, past a stone bridge, and toward a distant, sun-drenched horizon. Earlom demonstrates his technical skill through the use of mezzotint, a process that allows for subtle gradations of tone. By scraping away the burr on the copper plate, he creates the soft, atmospheric light that defines the sky and the foliage of the large, overhanging trees on the left.

This work belongs to a broader project by Boydell to document the drawings of the Old Masters through high-quality printmaking. Earlom was chosen for his ability to translate the delicate wash and pen work of the original drawings into the tonal medium of mezzotint. The result is a print that captures the quiet, contemplative mood of the original composition. The inclusion of the mythological figures Mercury and Battus provides a narrative anchor, yet the primary focus remains the harmonious balance between the figures and their environment. The print serves as a record of the 18th-century appreciation for the classical tradition and the skill of British printmakers in disseminating these works to a wider audience.