Relief of Shepherd and Cows

This relief of a shepherd and his flock in a naturalistic setting brings to mind the words of the Roman poet Virgil who composed a series of poems called the Eclogues. Virgil’s poems describe a pair of shepherds who discuss a range of topics while out in the Roman countryside: “O Meliboeus! Goat and kid are safe; and, if you have an idle hour to spare, rest here beneath the shade. Hither the steers will through the meadows, of their own free will, untended come to drink” (Eclogues VII).