Mountainous Landscape
1608
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 12.7 × 20.2 cm (5 × 8 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268334
Art Historical Context
Created in 1608 by Simon Frisius, *Mountainous Landscape* exemplifies the early seventeenth-century fascination with the natural world through the intimate medium of etching. Printed delicate ivory laid paper, work measures just 12.7 by 20.2 centimeters, a compact format typical of prints designed for personal collections and albums rather than grand public display. The etching technique, which allows an artist to draw freely with a needle on a wax-coated plate, enabled Frisius to capture the rugged textures of peaks and valleys with remarkable precision and spontaneity. As a print, this land...