November

Art Historical Context

"November," an exquisite etching from 162829, is a collaborative gem attributed to Dutch artist Jan van de Velde and Bohemian master etcher Wenceslaus Hol. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this print captures the quiet essence of a late autumn landscape, featuring rustic houses nestled among bare trees and scattered human figures. As part of the Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it the refined printmaking traditions of the early 17th century. Etching, the medium here, allowed artists like van de Velde—known for his intricate landscapes during the Dutch Golden Age—and Hollar, celebrated for his meticulous reproductions and topographic views, to achieve delicate lines and subtle tonal gradations. This technique, using acid to bite designs into copper plates, democratized art by enabling multiple impressions, making detailed scenes accessible beyond paintings. Evoking the somber mood of November, the work reflects Baroque interests in nature's cycles and everyday rural life. It invites visitors to ponder how such prints preserved fleeting seasonal moments, bridging Northern European artistic innovation with timeless human connection to the land.

About the Artist

Jan van de Velde II|Wenceslaus Hollar · 1593–1641

Jan van de Velde II (1593–1641) was one of the most accomplished Dutch printmakers and draughtsmen of the early seventeenth century, born in Haarlem into a dynasty of celebrated calligraphers and artists. His father, Jan van de Velde I, was a renowned writing master, and his cousin Willem van de Velde the Elder would later become a distinguished marine painter. Jan II studied engraving under Jacob...