WERFF, Adriaen van der
(b. 1659, Kralingen, d. 1722, Rotterdam)

Shepherd and Shepherdess

c. 1694
Oil on canvas, 294 x 155 cm
Staatliche Museen, Kassel

In 1692 Adriaen van der Werff bought a house on the east bank of the Delftsevaart in Rotterdam. He decorated the room overlooking the garden with several pictures, the masterpiece of them being the Shepherd and Shepherdess. He found the inspiration for the decoration during a trip to Amsterdam where he saw work by Gerard Lairesse which left a deep impression on him.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 13 minutes):
Franz Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock) D 965