Pair of paintings by Francesco Zuccarelli (1702-1788), Pair of paintings by Francesco Zuccarelli (1702-1788)

55 x 73 cm

1) Landscape with a Shepherd Family by a Well
2) Landscape with Shepherds by the River


Zuccarelli is one of the most important landscape painters in Venice in the mid-18th century. He lived in London from 1742 to 1752. In 1768 he was one of the founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and then regularly participated in its exhibitions. In 1771 he was elected president of the Accademia di belle arti di Venezia.

1) A shepherd, with cows and sheep, stands by a well and talks to his young wife, who sits in the foreground with a child on the bank of a pond. She has a basket and a jug with her, perhaps bringing food to her husband. In the background on the left, the view is completed by a forest. On the right, the view is directed to the land with the old tower.

2) Here Zuccarelli grouped the figures to the right and left of center. On the right lies a woman with her son, and they turn to the shepherd on horseback, who is seen only from behind. The painter has placed a tree stump in the middle, behind which a dog is barking at the woman and boy. A river flows in the middle distance. Behind her, a village rises on the hills with a church tower right in the middle of the picture. The picture is completed by a group of trees on the right.

The brisk, creamy style of painting emphasizes the rococo character of the works. Pastoral idylls were extremely popular in the 18th century, and Zucarelli represented this genre in Italian painting like no other.
Certificate written by Dr. Dario Succi

Size 55 x 73 cm
Oil on canvas