Arundel House from the North

Art Historical Context

**Arundel House from the North** (1646) is a delicate etching by the masterful Bohemian artist Wences Hollar, in collaboration with Adam Alexiusling. This intimate print (3 1/8 × 7 7/16 in.) captures a northern view of Arundel House, the Thames-side mansion of the Howard family, Earls of Arundel, one of London's most prominent noble residences in the 17th century. Hollar renowned for his topographic precision, populates the scene with lively details: horse-drawn carriages, human figures, and horses, evoking the bustling daily life around this architectural gem. Created amid the English Civil War, the etching preserves Arundel House just decades before its demolition in the 1670s to make way for urban expansion. Hollar, who arrived in England in 1636 under the patronage of the Earl of Arundel, documented the city's landmarks with unparalleled fidelity, making this work a vital historical snapshot. As the only known state of the etching, it highlights the rarity and authenticity of such impressions from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection. Hollar's etching technique—using fine, intricate lines—excels in rendering textures from stone facades to the motion of carriages, blending documentary accuracy with artistic elegance. For visitors, it's a window into Stuart-era London, celebrating the fragile beauty of lost heritage.

About the Artist

Wenceslaus Hollar|Adam Alexius Bierling · 1607–1677

Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) was a prolific Bohemian etcher who became one of the most accomplished printmakers of the seventeenth century. Born in Prague, he trained under Matthäus Merian in Frankfurt before entering the service of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, in 1636. Hollar spent most of his career in England, where he produced approximately 2,740 etchings documenting an extraordinary range...