Sheep by a Statue of Pan, plate five from Paysages Dédiés à M. Warelet

In this idyllic etching, a flock of sheep gathers around a weathered statue of Pan, the ancient Greek god of shepherds and wild nature. The scene is bathed in a soft, even light, suggesting a peaceful afternoon in the countryside. The artist, Salomon Kleiner, captures a sense of quiet contemplation, where the rustic world of grazing animals meets a classical past. While the print was created in 1764, Kleiner's work often looked back to classical themes and picturesque landscapes, reflecting the popular taste for such imagery in the 18th century. The detailed rendering of the sheep's woolly coats and the crumbling texture of the statue contrast with the delicate foliage, inviting the viewer to linger in this serene, imagined world. This work is plate five from a series titled "Paysages Dédiés à M. Warelet," indicating it was part of a set of landscapes dedicated to a patron.