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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bronwen, post: 543220, member: 5833&quot;]I have thoughts but no answers.</p><p><br /></p><p>Can&#039;t discount artistic license, but, although in some ways the scene fits the story of the first meeting of Rachel &amp; Jacob, there are significant ways in which it does not.&nbsp; It is Rachel who comes to the well with her flock, not Jacob.&nbsp; An important part of the story has to do with the difficulty of opening up the well so the sheep can drink; this spring presents no such problems.&nbsp; I can make no connections with Damon, Phyllis, Colin &amp; Phoebe.</p><p><br /></p><p>They certainly do appear very smitten with one another.&nbsp; Until reading AJ&#039;s observation, my reaction was that the figures are styled as mythical ancient Greeks.&nbsp; All the old tales are full of shepherds (who frequently turn out to be princes):</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.arts.magic-nation.co.uk/shep8.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.arts.magic-nation.co.uk/shep8.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.arts.magic-nation.co.uk/shep8.htm</a></p><p><br /></p><p>and Romantic poetry is full of similar imagery.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I don&#039;t know enough of these literary sources to spot them in art, so have to work through this&nbsp; one applying the classical mythology &amp; Biblical stories I do know.&nbsp; She does not appear to be a shepherdess.&nbsp; I don&#039;t see any attributes to identify her as a particular goddess but she is very well dressed &amp; coifed, bearing a staff rather than a shepherd&#039;s crook.&nbsp; She also lacks any type of vessel for transporting it back home if she is there to draw water, rather than just stopping by.&nbsp; The outline of the usual goddess/mortal story is that the goddess becomes infatuated with some rustic hunk who is resistant to her charms.&nbsp; This looks mutual.</p><p><br /></p><p>Can&#039;t nail this one, just offer this interesting site to go with Jivvy&#039;s:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.antiquesamplers.com/silkpict/index.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.antiquesamplers.com/silkpict/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.antiquesamplers.com/silkpict/index.html</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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