Last week we came across a shepherd with his flock during our daily walk around our village, Chelva. I took some pictures with my iPhone.
Pricing paintings
At home, looking at the images, they reminded me of the Dutch painter Anton Mauve, a contemporary painter of Vincent van Gogh.
Mauve was one of the most important painters of the Hague School.
He was also very successful abroad. His landscapes with sheep were very popular, especially in the United States. It was his trademark there.
He delivered them on demand, often hounded by his agent. His sheep paintings were distinguished in coming and going sheep. Coming sheep walk towards the viewer, going sheep walk away from the viewer.
Coming sheep were higher rated by the public but they were more expensive. Simply because it was more work!
So portraitists, attention: a portrait of the person that looks at you might be more expensive than one of the back of the person. The latter is less work, fewer problems with the likeness. (Unfortunately nobody orders such a portrait.)