Landscape with a figures around a fountain
ca. 1760–99
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Plate: 8 3/4 × 11 1/8 in. (22.3 × 28.2 cm) Sheet: 10 13/16 × 13 1/4 in. (27.5 × 33.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Olga Sichel and Max Philippson, 1962
Accession Number
62.557.168
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This engraving, created between 1760 and 1799 by Norbert Grund and Johann Balzer, captures a serene landscape centered on figures gathered around an ornate fountain. Grund, a Czech artist known for his lighthearted Rococo scenes, likely designed the composition, while Balzer translated it into print form. The work belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of drawings and prints, acquired in 1962 as a gift from Mrs. Olga Sichel and Max Philippson. Engravings like this one played a vital role in 18th-century Europe by making artistic imagery widely accessible beyond the original painting. The medium allowed for fine detail and multiple impressions, spreading popular tastes for pastoral idylls and leisurely outdoor gatherings that reflected Enlightenment-era interests in nature and refined society. Measuring just over 8 by 11 inches on the plate, the print’s intimate scale invites close viewing of its delicate linework and balanced composition. Today, the piece offers modern audiences a glimpse into Rococo-era ideals of harmony between humans and their surroundings, rendered through the collaborative artistry of painter and printmaker.
About the Artist
Norbert Grund|Johann Balzer (Czech|Czech) · 1738 |1717 –1799 |1767
Czech, Kukus 1738–1799 Prague|Czech, Prague 1717–1767 Prague