Oude slapende vrouw
1658 - 1677
Medium
paper
Dimensions
223; 174
About this artwork
mezzotint
Art Historical Context
**Oude Slapende Vrouw (Old Sleeping Woman)** erant Vaillant (3–1677), a Dutch Golden Age artist renowned as a painter and pioneering printmaker, created this mezzotint between 1658 and 1677. Measuring a modest 223 × 174 mm on paper the work captures a serene, elderly woman in repose, evoking the humanity of everyday life. Vaillant's focus on ordinary subjects reflects the Dutch era's fascination with genre scenes, blending realism with subtle emotional depth. What makes this piece extraordinary is its medium: mezzotint, a technique Vaillant helped invent in the 1650s. Unlike traditional eng...
About the Artist
Wallerant Vaillant · 1623–1677
Wallerant Vaillant (1623-1677) was a French-born Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker who pioneered the mezzotint technique in printmaking. Born in Lille on May 30, 1623, he died in Amsterdam on August 28, 1677, leaving behind a significant legacy as both a portraitist and innovator in graphic arts. Vaillant holds a distinguished place in art history as one of the first professional artists to...