A goatherd playing bagpipes, his hound and goats beyond

Etching

Signed in the plate lower left

14.5 x 21.5 cm

References:

Bartsch 1 (vol. 1, p. 339); Hollstein 11 (vol. 14, p. 34)

Provenance:

The estate of Professor James Griffin (1933-2019), formerly White's Professor of Moral Philosophy at Oxford University and an Emeritus Fellow of Corpus Christi college, Oxford.

£500

This beautiful print is an excellent example of the graphic work of the Dutch and Flemish genre painters, known as the ‘Bamboccianti’, active in Italy in the 17th century.  The group, of which Miel was a principal member, produced engaging images of the lower classes in Rome and its surrounding countryside.  Indeed, Miel has signed the present print with his Italian name ‘Miele’, indicative of its production during this time.   ‘Miele’ also means ‘honey’ in Italian, resulting in artist’s nickname ‘Honingh-Bie’ (Honey-Bee) amongst the ‘Bentveughel’ association of Dutch and Flemish artists in Rome.