Jean Jacques de Boissieu, The Entrance to a Forest with a Cottage on the Right, 1772, etching and drypoint on laid paper. The Clark, 1993.3

In pastoral works, architecture is often placed in the midground or background to suggest human habitation of a landscape. In the seventeenth century, pastoral architecture took the form of ruins, indicating that ancient people once held dominion over the land. These ruined buildings—surrounded by overgrown trees and shrubbery—invite viewers to reflect the greatness of past civilizations, the transience of their glory, and the sublime power of time and nature.

In the eighteenth century, pastoral landscapes also came to include cottages, barns, and shacks. By including architectural features within pastoral landscapes, artists may sometimes be making moral, social, and political statements about rural life and land management. Consider how the appearance of a building affects the way we think about the people who live there. What assumptions do you make?