Arcadian Shepherds
about 1655
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 110.5 × 109.5 cm
- Status
- In Museum Collection
- Collect24 Art ID
- C24-136714
Two Arcadian shepherds with coarse features discover a tomb inscribed with the words *Temporalis Æternitas*, alluding to the brevity or frailty of human life. The subject, one that Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione had borrowed from Poussin a decade earlier, was meant to remind viewers that time brings oblivion even to the highest achievements of humankind. An assortment of objects lying on the ground at the left--statues, musical instruments, a seashell, books, and armor--symbolize human accomplishments that have begun to crumble into ruin. Set against a blue sky with purplish-gray clouds, Castiglione evoked the mystery of an ancient lost civilization. The colors are rich and powerful, with bright reds and blues and a strong red-brown ground.
Provenance
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Registry history
- about 1655 — Recorded in the collection of J. Paul Getty Museum
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