The First Spring
Medium
Engraving; second state of three
Dimensions
Plate: 5 3/16 × 6 3/4 in. (13.2 × 17.2 cm) Sheet: 6 3/8 × 8 1/16 in. (16.2 × 20.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1930
Accession Number
30.24.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
Allart van Everdingen a prominent 17th-century Dutch artist of the Baroque period, captures the gentle awakening of nature in * First Spring*, an exquisite engraving from the Dutch Golden Age. Known for dramatic Nordic-inspired landscapes after travels to Sweden, Everdingen here evokes renewal through a pastoral scene featuring horses, children,, women, and lush trees—likely symbolizing the joys of springtime in rural life. This second state of three reflects refinements in the printing process, where the artist burnished or added details to enhance clarity and depth. Engraving, Everdingen's ...
About the Artist
Allart van Everdingen · 1621–1675
Allaert van Everdingen (1621-1675) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker who introduced Scandinavian landscape painting to the Netherlands. Born in Alkmaar and baptized on June 18, 1621, he pioneered a distinctive genre of Nordic mountain scenery that profoundly influenced Dutch landscape painting and later inspired the Romantic movement. Van Everdingen holds a unique place in art history...