Seated Shepherd and a Peasant Woman with a Basket
1759/1782
Medium
etching with white heightening on blue laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 26.6 × 35.8 cm (10 1/2 × 14 1/8 in.) sheet: 40 × 49.7 cm (15 3/4 × 19 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ellwanger/Mescha Collection
Accession Number
2017.19.25
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Francesco Londonio's *Seated Shepherd and a Peasant Woman with a Basket* (1759/1782) captures the serene beauty of rural Italian life in the 18th century. Working in Lombardy, Londonio specialized in pastoral scenes that romanticized everyday peasant activities, blending realism with an idyllic charm reminiscent of the Arcadian tradition. This etching depicts humble figures—a resting shepherd and a woman carrying a basket—evoking the simplicity and harmony of countryside existence during the late Enlightenment era, when such motifs offered an escape from urban industrialization. The artwork's medium, etching with white heightening on blue laid paper, showcases Londonio's mastery of printmaking techniques. Etching allowed for intricate lines and tonal depth, while the white heightening—applied gouache or chalk—created luminous highlights against the cool blue ground, enhancing depth and atmospheric perspective. Printed on laid paper, which reveals its characteristic chain lines, the sheet (40 × 49.7 cm) preserves the tactile quality of 18th-century papermaking. As a print, it democratized access to fine art, making Londonio's visions available beyond elite patrons. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Ellwanger/Mescha Collection (Department CG-E), this piece exemplifies the genre's cultural importance: celebrating agrarian roots amid Italy's artistic shift toward naturalism. Visitors will appreciate its delicate balance of technique and tranquility, a window into pre-Romantic reverence for the pastoral.
About the Artist
Francesco Londonio · 1723–1783
Francesco Londonio (1723–1783), born into a noble Milanese family as the fourth of seven siblings, emerged as one of the 18th century's most prolific interpreters of rural life in Lombardy. He trained under the painters Ferdinando Porta and Giovanni Battista Sassi in Milan, accompanying Porta to Parma where Correggio's works left a lasting impression, and later studied etching techniques with Beni...