Herder en herderin rusten uit bij een boom - Jan van Call (I)

A classical pastoral etching by Jan van Call (I), depicting a shepherd and shepherdess resting beneath a tree, inspired by the Eclogues of Virgil.

This etching by Jan van Call (I) depicts a pastoral scene rooted in classical literary tradition. The composition features a shepherd and shepherdess resting beneath the shade of a large tree, a visual reference to the opening lines of Virgil's Eclogues, which are inscribed at the base of the print. The Latin text, 'Tityre, tu patulae recubans sub tegmine fagi', translates to 'Tityrus, you, reclining under the cover of a spreading beech', establishing the work as an exercise in the Arcadian ideal popular among Dutch artists of the late seventeenth century.

Van Call employs precise hatching and cross-hatching techniques to define the textures of the foliage, the rugged rock formations, and the distant mountainous horizon. The light source is handled with care, creating a sense of depth that draws the eye from the shaded foreground, where the figures sit, toward the sunlit ruins and rolling hills in the background. The inclusion of architectural elements, such as the domed structure in the distance, adds a layer of Mediterranean influence to the otherwise Dutch interpretation of the classical landscape. The print was published by Petrus Schenck, a prominent figure in the Amsterdam print trade, whose name appears at the bottom of the plate.

As a draughtsman and etcher, Van Call was known for his ability to capture topographical detail alongside imaginative, idealized settings. This work demonstrates his technical proficiency in managing tonal contrast within a monochromatic medium. The balance between the intimate scale of the resting figures and the expansive, rugged terrain reflects the period's interest in the relationship between humanity and the natural world. This print offers a glimpse into the aesthetic values of the late Dutch Golden Age, where classical scholarship and technical printmaking converged.