Farm, from The Small Landscapes

Art Historical Context

**Farm, from *The Small Landscapes*** (1559–61) is a exquisite etching measuring 5¼ x 7⅝ inches, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department. This intimate print emerged from a remarkable collaboration among Netherlandish masters: engravers Johannes and Lucas van Doetecum, Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel the Elder, and the enigmatic Master of the Small Landscapes. during the Renaissance in the Low Countries, it belongs to the innovative *Small Landscapes* series, which detailed rural vignettes in affordable print form. Etching, a relatively new technique at the time, allowed for the fine lines and textures that bring this farm scene to life—evident in its classification as a print and tags like "Farms" and "Landscapes." The series marked a pivotal shift, elevating everyday countryside motifs to subjects of artistic merit, reflecting 16th-century fascination with nature, agriculture, and peasant life amid rapid urbanization. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1939, this work showcases the era's technical prowess and cultural snapshot. Visitors are drawn to its compact scale, perfect for close study, revealing the harmonious blend of observation and artistry that influenced generations of landscape printmakers.

About the Artist

Johannes van Doetecum I|Lucas van Doetecum|The Master of the Small Landscapes|Hieronymus Cock|Pieter Bruegel the Elder (Netherlandish|Netherlandish) · 1528 |1527 –1605 |1606

Netherlandish, 1528/32–1605|Netherlandish, Leeuwarden 1527–1606 (?) Antwerp (?)