De schaapherderin, bekend als ‘Monumental Conception of Humanity’

This large painting of a shepherdess was for a staircase and meant to be seen from below. As for all of his conceptions, Maris wished to erase the traces of the production process. Here he worked with successive layers of pastose paint which he ‘pressed’ into the canvas, creating a matte surface with a rugged texture. He also had the frame made especially for this picture.