A Forest with a Wooden Bridge on the Right, from Eight Scenes from Bohemia
c. 1610
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 23.5 × 36.3 cm (9 5/16 × 14 5/16 in.); sheet: 29 × 41.6 cm (11 7/16 × 16 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268495
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Part of a series of eight views inspired by the wooded landscapes of Bohemia (modern-day Czechia), this print was a collaboration between two artists who worked at the court of Emperor Rudolph II in Prague. The painter Pieter Stevens specialized in landscape, producing numerous drawings for his patron, while Aegidius Sadeler was a virtuoso engraver and official printmaker to the emperor. Sadeler’s ability to create rich tonal contrasts was ideally suited to these picturesque and atmospheric depi...
Art Historical Context
Nestled within Aegidius Sadeler II captivating series *Eight Scenes from* (c. 1610), *A Forest with a Wooden Bridge on Right* invites viewers into the lush, untamed landscapes of early 17th-century Bohemia. This exquisite engraving, measuring nearly 14 by 9 inches on its plate, captures a dense woodland pierced by a rustic wooden bridge on the right, evoking the region's natural splendor and serene paths. Sadeler, a Flemish engraver from the renowned Sadeler family dynasty of printmakers, honed his craft across Europe, including at the imperial court of Rudolf II in Prague—a vibrant hub of Mannerist art. Rendered in intricate engraving on premium ivory laid paper, the work showcases Sadeler's mastery of line and texture. The medium allowed for razor-sharp details in foliage, bark, and distant vistas, transforming a flat print into a window on Bohemia's wild beauty. Prints like this were prized collectibles, disseminating artistic visions to elite audiences far beyond the Empire. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, this piece reflects Bohemia's cultural allure during a time of artistic flourishing, blending Northern European precision with local topography for enduring appeal.
About the Artist
Aegidius Sadeler, II · 1570–1629
Aegidius Sadeler II was born in Antwerp around 1570 into the most distinguished printmaking dynasty of the sixteenth century. The Sadeler family — spanning Jan I, Raphael, and Aegidius I — dominated the European print trade from their Flemish base, and Aegidius II was trained by his uncle Jan Sadeler I, under whom he was listed as a pupil in the records of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1585. He...