Herberg bij de Grotta della Ninfa Egeria
Medium
etching
Dimensions
127; 180
About this artwork
ets
Art Historical Context
Bartholomeus Breen's *Herberg bij de Grotta della Ninfa Eger* (Inn near the Grotto of Nymph Egeria), created in 1640, captures the timeless allure of ancient Rome through the Dutch artist's masterful etching. Breenbergh, a key figure in the Dutch Italianate landscape tradition during the Golden Age, spent years in Rome (c. 1624–1629), sketching ruins and pastoral scenes that inspired his later works. This intimate print (180 × 127 mm) depicts an inn nestled beside the historic Grotta della Ninfa Egeria—a natural cave in Rome's Parco degli Acquedotti, linked to the mythical nymph Egeria, adviso...
About the Artist
Bartholomeus Breenbergh
Probably was apprenticed in Amsterdam. He was one of the early Dutch italianates, that is, northern artists who travelled to Italy in the 1620s and were inspired by southern landscapes. On his return, he settled in Amsterdam and his landscapes were developed as more severe and monumental, often with historical subjects; strongly influenced by the Pre-Rembrandtists. Comment on works: Landscapes; Ru...