A luminous pastoral landscape by Richard Peterson (American, b. 1947, San Pedro, California), a modern master of the old European painting traditions. Rejecting the Abstract and Pop movements popular in his youth, Peterson devoted himself instead to the study of the Old Masters — learning from historical texts to grind his own pigments, prepare his own panels, and glaze his finished works using the same techniques employed by 17th-century painters. This painting is a fine example of his work in the Dutch Italianate manner. A luminous, atmospheric sky opens over a sweeping valley with distant blue mountains and a sunlit castle, framed by a gnarled ancient tree at left and a dark grove at right. In the foreground, small figures rest with their animals along a country path — the classic pastoral motif beloved by the 17th-century Dutch landscape painters. Shepherd sitting with his sheep overlooking his herd and the castle. The meticulous glazing and warm golden tonality give the work the depth and glow of a period painting, while its condition offers the reliability of a contemporary piece. A rare opportunity to acquire Old Master beauty without Old Master fragility — equally at home in a traditional study, above a mantel, or as the grounding piece in a collected, layered interior.