Het veer van de Uytersche Schiet-Schuyten, from Views of Amsterdam
c. 1660
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 13.7 × 24.9 cm (5 7/16 × 9 13/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
267969
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 17th-century Amsterdam with *Het veer van detersche Schiet-Schten*, an exquisite etching by Reinier No, known as Zeeman ("sailor"). Created around 1660 as part of his *Views of Amsterdam* series, this print captures a lively ferry scene on the city's waterways. Nooms, a masterful Dutch artist specializing in maritime subjects, skillfully depicts the "schiet-schuyten"—swift passenger boats zipping passengers across the water—amidst bustling docks and sailing vessels, evoking the pulse of daily life in the Dutch Golden Age. During this prosperous era, Amsterdam wa...
About the Artist
Reinier Nooms, called Zeeman
Reinier Nooms, known as Zeeman ("sailor" in Dutch), was a prominent Dutch maritime painter, draftsman, and etcher of the Golden Age, born around 1623 or 1624 in Amsterdam and dying there in 1664 at about age 40. Before turning to art around 1643, he led a rough life as a professional seaman, which informed his unparalleled accuracy in depicting ships, ports, naval battles, and coastal scenes—knowl...