Drie vissers aan de oever van een rivier

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2760

Art Historical Context

**Drie vissers aan oever van een riv** (Three Fishermen on the Bank of River) is a delicate etching by Jonas Umbach, a Dutch artist active during the late 17th century (4–1693). This small-scale work, measuring just 98 mm high by 149 mm wide, captures a riverside scene with three fishermen, evoking the everyday rural life of the Dutch Golden Age. Umbach's compositions often highlighted humble laborers against natural backdrops, reflecting the period's fascination with pastoral simplicity and the harmony between people and the land. Etching, Umbach's chosen medium, was a revolutionary intaglio technique popularized in the Netherlands during this era. By coating a copper plate with acid-resistant ground, scratching lines into it, and immersing it in acid, artists like Umbach achieved intricate, expressive lines with subtle tonal variations—ideal for conveying texture in water, foliage, and weathered clothing. This print's modest size suggests it was designed for intimate appreciation, perhaps in albums or by collectors savoring fine detail. Bearing the collector's mark Lugt 2760 (from Frits Lugt's catalog of marks), the piece boasts notable provenance, linking it to esteemed 18th- or 19th-century connoisseurs. As a window into 17th-century Dutch genre art, it reminds us of etching's role in democratizing high art through affordable reproductions.

About the Artist

Jonas Umbach · 1624–1693

Comment on works: Landscapes; History; Kitchen interiors; Birds