Landschap met een ossewagen

About this artwork

height 265 mm x width 205 mm

Art Historical Context

**Landschap met een osse (Landscape with an Ox Cart)** *Jan Both, 1644–1652,, 265 × 205 mm* Step into the sunlit world of Jan Both's *Landschap met eenwagen*, a delicate etching capturing a pastoral Dutch landscape animated by an ox cart. Created during the Dutch Golden Age, this print reflects Both's mastery of Italianate landscapes, inspired by his travels to Rome in the 1630s. There, he absorbed the luminous effects of artists like Claude Lorrain, blending them with the rugged charm of his native Utrecht countryside. The scene evokes a serene rural idyll, with the humble ox cart symbolizing everyday life amid rolling hills and distant vistas. As an etching, this work showcases Both's skill in intaglio printmaking, where acid etches fine lines into a metal plate for intricate textures—from the oxen’s harness to the dappled foliage. At 265 × 205 mm, it's intimate yet evocative, allowing affordable dissemination of his style beyond oil paintings. Both, active until his early death in 1652, produced few etchings, making this a rare gem that bridges painting and print, highlighting 17th-century innovations in reproductive art for a growing collector class. (198 words)

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...