Naues Mercatoriæ Hollandicæ per Indias Occidentales (Dutch East Indiaman)
Medium
Etching; first state of two
Dimensions
Plate: 5 11/16 × 9 5/16 in. (14.5 × 23.7 cm) Sheet: 6 1/8 × 9 1/2 in. (15.6 × 24.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1925
Accession Number
25.83.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Naues Mercatoriæ Hollandæ per Indias Occident (Dutch East Indiam)*, a captivating 1647 etching by Wenceslaus Hollar the Bohemian-born master printmaker renowned for his meticulous Baroque-era depictions of ships, cities, and daily life. This first-state impression, measuring about 5 11/16 × 9 5/16 inches on the plate, captures a Dutch merchant vessel slicing through ocean waves, its sails billowing under a vast sky. Hollar's exquisite line work brings the ship's intricate rigging, cannons, and hull to life, offering a vivid snapshot of 17th-century maritime prowess. Created during the...
About the Artist
Wenceslaus Hollar · 1607–1677
Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) was a prolific Bohemian etcher who became one of the most accomplished printmakers of the seventeenth century. Born in Prague, he trained under Matthäus Merian in Frankfurt before entering the service of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, in 1636. Hollar spent most of his career in England, where he produced approximately 2,740 etchings documenting an extraordinary range...