Pastoral Gifts

Pastoral literature was in vogue during the 18th century, as it evoked the simplicity of an idyllic rural lifestyle as well as the elegance of antiquity. Artists often drew their inspiration from classics such as Virgil’s lyric Eclogues. Johann Lorenz Rugendas I’s series of four etchings exemplifies these popular scenes, which take the form of dialogues between courting shepherds and shepherdesses. Rugendas belonged to a German family of engravers and painters. He made this etching series after drawings by Charles Eisen, a French engraver, evidently retaining the original French titles while presenting the text in German.