Shepherdess of the Alps.

PrinterPrinted by Kelloggs & Comstock (American, 1848 - 1850)

PublisherPublished by Kelloggs & Comstock (American, 1848 - 1850)

PublisherPublished by D. Needham (American, 1808 - 1888)

Date1848-1850

MediumLithography; printer's ink and watercolor on wove paper

DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 11 7/8 x 8 9/16in. (30.2 x 21.7cm) Sheet (height x width): 15 x 10 3/4in. (38.1 x 27.3cm)

ClassificationsGraphics

Credit LineGift of Tim Bradbury

Object number2005.163.0

DescriptionA young girl with two braids and a bow in her hair stands, facing right. She is feeding a goat with flowers and grass from her apron. She wears a short dress with full sleeves, shoes, and stockings. A second goat stands behind her with a garland of leaves around its neck. Both goats have long hair and horns. A few scattered flowers and leaves are on the bare ground at the girl's feet. Rocks and grass are in the foreground. A large rock partially covered with vines and a steep slope are in the background. The lower parts of several large tree trunks are visible on top of the slope. The corners of the image are rounded.

Collections

Kellogg Brothers Lithographs

NotesSubject Note: The original "Shepherdess of the Alps" appears to have been a play by Marmontel, which enjoyed great popularity in France, England, and America in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The play inspired numberous paintings and prints. See Paul Grigaut, "Marmontel's Shepherdess of the Alps in Eighteenth Century Art," Art Quarterly (1949). The subject appears quite frequently in schoolgirl art and embroidery from about 1800-1820. Examples are in the collections of Historic Deerfield, Old Sturbridge Village, and the Connecticut Historical Society. So far no version that exactly corresponds to the Kellogg prints has been found. (Finlay 1/23/2006)

Status

Not on view