Shepherd with a Flute

According to one possible interpretation, the painting is an allegorical portrait of a patrician disguised as a shepherd. The figure is shown holding a recorder and a staff in one hand while gesturing with the other toward a background scene that includes a bagpiper, a flock of sheep, farm buildings, and an imposing, ruined classical building. The simply dressed shepherd wears a wide-brimmed hat that casts a shadow over his eyes, and a flask hangs from his belt.