Going to Church

Art Historical Context

**Going to Church**, a captivating 1651 etching, captures a serene rural procession toward a distant church steeple. Created after a design by Flemish artist Alexander Roelants masterfully etched by Bohemian printmaker Wenceslaus Hol, it also bears a dedication to Lamoral Claudius Franz, Count Thurn and Taxis reflecting noble patronage in the Baroque era. Hollar's precise etching technique—rendered in a single state—brings to life men on horseback, a horse-drawn carriage, lush trees, and architectural details with remarkable clarity and texture, on a generously sized plate of 9½ × 16 inches. This print exemplifies 17th-century topographical etching, a popular medium for documenting everyday life and landscapes across Europe. Hollar, renowned for his meticulous views of Antwerp, London, and beyond, infuses the scene with a sense of gentle motion and communal piety, evoking the cultural importance of Sunday churchgoing in Catholic Flanders amid post-Thirty Years' War recovery. Acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Rogers Fund in 1920, this trimmed impression remains a gem in the Drawings and Prints collection, offering visitors a window into 17th-century rural devotion and Hollar's enduring legacy as one of etching's finest practitioners.

About the Artist

Alexander Roelants|Wenceslaus Hollar|Lamoral Claudius Franz, Count of Thurn and Taxis (German|Bohemian|Dutch) · 1621 |1607 |1650 –1676 |1677 |1650

German, 1621–1676|Bohemian, Prague 1607–1677 London|Dutch, active 1650