Landscape with Ruins and Two Cows at the Waterside, from a series of four horizontal Roman Landscapes
1645/50
Medium
Etching on ivory paper
Dimensions
Plate: 20 × 27.3 cm (7 7/8 × 10 3/4 in.); Sheet: 20.3 × 27.7 cm (8 × 10 15/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
12578
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Jan Both was one of the principal Dutch painters of idyllic Italian views. This print, one of a series of four horizontal Roman landscapes, is in the artist's mature style and was probably executed in Utrecht after his return from Italy in 1641. The variety of linear treatment and the deeper etching of the foreground reveal Both's efforts to capture the effects of Italy's golden light.
About the Artist
Jan Both · 1618–1652
Jan Both was born in Utrecht around 1618 into an artistically rich environment: his father was a glass painter, and his brother Andries was also a painter with whom he would collaborate during their formative years in Italy. Jan trained under Abraham Bloemaert, one of the most versatile and influential artists working in Utrecht, before traveling to Rome — a journey that would prove decisive for h...