Puvis adapted this composition from a mural that he made for the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyons. The pipe-playing shepherd and draped figures pay homage to the poetry and grace of classical antiquity, which Puvis revered as the epitome of beauty. Their rhythmic poses and absorbed demeanor impart a mood of dreamlike serenity to the scene. Pale colors, minimal modeling, and limited detail create an effect of great simplicity and restraint. Puvis’s work inspired numerous younger artists eager for alternatives to Impressionism, including Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat.
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