German school of the XVII century.

German school of the XVII century.
"The shepherd".
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
Presents some lack in the frame.
It needs restoration.
Measurements: 193 x 140 cm; 204 x 152 cm (frame).

Under a sky that announces storm, a shepherd leaning on a tree stump points to his left to indicate to the herd of goats that it is hour to return to the stable. We see his right hand, in which he holds a flute, furrowed with fine veins. The naturalism and quality of the painting is expressed in this type of detail and, above all, in the good-natured countenance of the character. His eyes are small, bright and deep. His reddened and weather-beaten skin gleams under the silver light of the heavy sky. He wears bloomers and a tanned leather jacket tied with a drawstring through the buttonholes. The woolly fur of the animals is also resolved with accurate verism. We feel the agitation of the dark leaves of the trees, as if they foreshadowed the rain. The rise of pastoral painting during the 17th century in Germany may have been motivated by the need to escape from the social and political debacle of the time. It was a period of conflict and sudden change, with the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) deeply affecting Germans. Pastoral painting offered an idealized and escapist view of life, in contrast to the reality of war and devastation. However, in this magnificent scene with shepherd, the worried face and the day electrified by the incipient storm does not convey a peaceful image but, on the contrary, it seems to us a sort of transcript of the difficult historical moment. On the other hand, in the Germanic landscape painting of the period, the influence of the Dutch landscape painters can be appreciated.