Douer (Dover)
Medium
Etching; first state of two
Dimensions
Plate: 2 7/16 × 5 3/16 in. (6.2 × 13.2 cm) Sheet: 2 11/16 × 5 9/16 in. (6.9 × 14.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.3119
Tags
Art Historical Context
Wenceslaus Hollar’s 1642 etching *Douer (Dover)* captures a sweeping view of the English port town and its imposing castle perched above the cliffs. Created shortly after the Bohemian-born artist settled in England, the print exemplifies Hollar’s meticulous topographical style, in which fine etched lines record architecture, terrain, and atmosphere with remarkable clarity. As the first state of two, this impression preserves the artist’s initial vision before later revisions. Etching proved ideal for such documentary work, allowing Hollar to produce affordable, widely circulated images that i...
About the Artist
Wenceslaus Hollar · 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...