Claude Lorrain’s “Pastoral Landscape” (1628-1630) is, no escaping the fact, a landscape. At this point, like any other lifelong art lover, I’ve seen thousands upon thousands of landscapes.

You can hear all of this and more, as you gaze upon Nicolaes Berchem's etching, "The Cows at the Watering Place (The Cow Drinking) 1680," a perfect example of "the pastoral" landscape. Here, shepherds ...

This cultural tradition, based on distinctive socialstructures and local breeds of sheep, is reflected in the structure of the landscape, especially the patterns of farms, settlements, fields, water ...