The Entrance Gate of St. Bernard in Paris
17th century
Medium
Etching; second state
Dimensions
sheet: 6 7/16 x 10 1/2 in. (16.3 x 26.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.49.72
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step through the bustling streets of 17th-century Paris withThe Entrance Gate of St. in Paris*, an etching by Dutch artist Reinier Nooms known as Zeeman ("sailor" in Dutch) for his masterful depictions of maritime scenes. Created in the second state—a refined version with added details—this print captures the iconic gate, likely a grand entryway along the Seine, by boats gliding on the river and sturdy bridges nearby. Nooms, who traveled extensively and visited Paris, infused his work with the lively energy of urban life and watery thoroughfares. As a pioneering etcher, Nooms employed a techn...
About the Artist
Reinier Nooms, called Zeeman
Reinier Nooms, known as Zeeman ("sailor" in Dutch), was a prominent Dutch maritime painter, draftsman, and etcher of the Golden Age, born around 1623 or 1624 in Amsterdam and dying there in 1664 at about age 40. Before turning to art around 1643, he led a rough life as a professional seaman, which informed his unparalleled accuracy in depicting ships, ports, naval battles, and coastal scenes—knowl...