Laurent de Beul : Shepherd with Sheep and Lambs, 1868

A tranquil pastoral scene typical of Laurent de Beul’s mature period. The composition centers on a young shepherd seated on a grassy knoll, tending to a small flock of ewes and lambs resting in the foreground. Sunlight filters through a soft, diffused sky, bathing the animals and landscape in a warm, golden tone. De Beul’s skill in rendering the texture of wool and natural light demonstrates the academic realism of the Belgian school of the mid-19th century.

The work reflects the era’s Romantic nostalgia for rural life, portraying harmony between man, animal, and land. Framed in an ornate gilt frame of the same period, the piece is both painterly and precise—hallmarks of De Beul’s intimate countryside studies that earned him acclaim among European collectors.

Provenance and Significance:
Signed and dated 1868, this painting aligns with De Beul’s pastoral cycle exhibited in Antwerp and Brussels during the 1860s. Comparable works—Shepherdess and Her Sheep (1868) and Shepherd Resting with His Flock—are held in private European collections and have sold at major auction houses, confirming its place within the artist’s known oeuvre.