Boats Ashore Near a Watch-Tower, from Landscapes (Playsante Lantschappen)
c. 1641
Medium
Etching, with engraving, on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 15.3 × 28.2 cm (6 1/16 × 11 1/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268692
Art Historical Context
Claes Jansz. Visscher II, a leading Dutch printmaker during the Golden Age, created *Boats Ashore Near a Watch-Tower around 1641 as part of his *Pleasant Landscapes* (Playsante Lantschappen series. This etching with engraving on ivory laid paper (15.3 × 28.2 cm) captures a serene coastal scene, evoking the maritime world of the Netherlands amid its era of trade and exploration. Visscher, known for his meticulous reproductions and original landscapes, drew inspiration from the Dutch fascination with nature's quiet drama, blending realism with atmospheric depth. The print's technique highlights...
About the Artist
Claes Jansz. Visscher, II · 1587–1652
Claes Janszoon Visscher II (1587–1652) was one of the most prolific and commercially astute figures of the Dutch Golden Age print world — a draughtsman, etcher, mapmaker, and publisher whose Amsterdam workshop became one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Born into a family already engaged in the print trade, Visscher learned etching and engraving directly from his father, Claes Jansz. Visscher...