Five hunting horns

Art Historical Context

Wenceslaus Hollar's *Five Hunting Horns* (1647) is a exquisite etching that captures the gleaming curves and intricate details of these coiled brass instruments, hallmarks of 17th-century European hunting. Created during Hollar's exile in Antwerp amid the English Civil War, this print exemplifies the Bohemian-born artist's mastery of etching—a technique he elevated through fine, precise lines etched directly into copper plates with acid. As the only state of this work, it remains a rare gem, untouched by later revisions, preserving Hollar's original vision in its compact 5 11/16 × 7 15/16 in. format. Hollar, a prolific Baroque printmaker known for his topographical views and meticulous still lifes, renders the horns with remarkable realism, highlighting their textures, shadows, and reflective surfaces against a simple background. This focus on everyday luxury objects reflects the era's fascination with vanitas themes and the nobility's equestrian pursuits, where hunting horns signaled the chase and hierarchy in the field. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this piece invites visitors to appreciate Hollar's technical virtuosity and the cultural resonance of hunting traditions. A testament to printmaking's portability, it bridged courts and collectors across Europe.

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...