Although best known as a prolific marine painter, Volanakis on occasion turned his attention to bucolic scenes, developing his own artistic idiom, rooted in plein air painting and impressionism. Lyrical and atmospheric, the present work is characterised by harmonious colours and careful attention to detail, as in the flowers in the foreground. The painter successfully captures the sky’s overcast grey, which serves to heighten the green of the grassy slopes. In the distance, a shepherdess and her child keep watch over their flock.
A painting depicting the head of one of the sheep in this work is in the National Gallery in Athens.